Reign of Terror
by Two-Eyed Charlie
Summary: The Justice League battles a brutal regime in a dystopian universe led by the most dangerous man on the planet. Unfortunately, this man is far closer to the League than any other villain they've ever faced. And as one member will soon find out, its excessively difficult to fight against the person who holds your heart. An Elseworld's story based around an alternate DCAU
1. Prologue

**All characters not created by me are sole property of DC Comics, for whom I pledge my allegiance to with loyalty comparable to that of a slightly dependable mercenary. **

**I should probably mention that I'll be pushing the boundaries of the "Teen" rating as much as I can, so it is entirely possible that the story could shift into the "M" category at some point. I tend to get descriptive with certain violent aspects; blood and such, so just a heads up. Hope you enjoy!**

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_**Prologue**_

_**Gotham City:**_

Droplets of rain streaked down the young Tim Drake's face as he darted in between buildings, the dark shadows concealing him from the spotlights unrelenting search. He could hear the deafening clamper of armoured boots circle around him in multiple, disorganized directions; a tell-tale sign that his pursuers had lost visual, albeit temporarily. He had to be careful; being caught this close to the safe house would spell disaster for the resistance movement. If the years of guerilla raids and Imperium counter-attacks had taught him anything, it was that Shock-Troopers would sooner demolish any entire city block than let a single resistance fighter escape. Unsurprising, considering who gave them their orders.

The visage of a patrol group forced him into a tiny crevice just aft of a long stretch of alleyway. He could see the sewer cover leading to his destination from this vantage point, merely a stone's throw away from him now. The Imperium troopers were too close though; any sudden movements would easily be picked up by their helmets audio detectors. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated his surroundings in a piercing white light, cutting away the shadow's cover and sending him further back into the concealed crevice, hopefully remaining out of sight of his death-squad pursers. The fierce clap of thunder that followed, however, gave him an idea.

_Thunder's loud enough to cover my tracks. Noise lasts for about 3 seconds, so I'd have to sprint about half a second before in order to get to the manhole cover. About a 5 second delay between the lightning and the thunder, so if I time it right….._

Another bolt of lightning streaked across the crimson sky as Tim launched into a full-on sprint down the alleyway. As he mentally checked off second number two, he slid on his knees over the puddle streaked pavement into a corner near the man-hole cover. He quickly reached out his arms towards the metal disk, rain bouncing off his red leather jacket.

Only to feel the searing pain of the stock of a pulse rifle slammed into his forearm. He quickly gazed up at the concealed face of a lone Imperium Shock-Trooper, the muzzle of his standard issue weapon pointed square between his eyes. Another bolt of lightning cut the night sky in half as Tim's reflexes kicked into overdrive, pure adrenaline flowing throughout his body. His now numb left arm collided with the trooper's unpadded knee, causing him to buckle and tumble towards the ground. At the same time, Tim began to rise, slamming his right fist into the soldier's trachea, preventing any scream of pain or request for assistance from exiting his lips. He caught the soldier's head as he fell and with a single vicious twist he severed the man's spinal cord, killing him instantly. He carefully laid the body on the ground, hopefully keeping any noise to minimum. However a high-pitched shrill escaped from the Shock-Trooper's corpse, the accompanying red light emanating off a small, protruding dot on the armour's shoulder pauldron clearly stating its purpose.

_Damn_, he swore internally, _he's fitting his mooks with goddamn heart-rate monitors. _He could hear voices converging on him now as every unit within god knows how large of a radius was alerted to his presence. _Damn, damn damn! _He swore again.

Thinking quickly, he grabbed a lose piece of rubble off the street and chucked it into the adjacent alley, its impact with the concrete echoing throughout the buildings that surrounded it. Hoping that it would buy him enough time to escape, he lifted the man-hole cover and dove into the dimly-lit sewer, quickly covering the hole again before he completely descended. He began to swear yet again as he landed in the putrid muck that ran beneath the city.

_Shit, I'm going to be in so much trouble after this. _He glanced nervously around him before sprinting down the tunnel. _If Dick didn't get those subs we'll all be dead by sunrise. _An explosion knocked him to his feet and rattled the brick-layered walls around him. Another explosion, this one slightly closer overhead, nearly knocked the lights out in the tunnel.

_Scratch that, we'll all be dead in under an hour. _

He came to a false wall and quickly rapped his knuckles four times in each corner. A keypad materialized in the centre, prompting Tim to type in the password. He quickly punched in AJACCIO_, _all the while nervously craning his neck side to side, searching for any sign that they had breached the sewer system.

_C'mon you stupid piece of shit. If I die because you decide to freeze up again I swear to god….._

The keypad retreated into the wall which now began to shift and pull apart, revealing a concealed tunnel that stretched into pure blackness. He broke into a full-on sprint as the door behind him re-assembled, already being able to hear voices at the end of the dark passage.

"Tim! What in god's name is going on up there?" Barbra Gordon immediately snapped as Tim entered the Resistance's Gotham HQ. She holstered her two plasma pistols before quickly attaching the shin guard of a dead Imperium trooper to her leg, all the while continuing to glare at the young resistance fighter.

Out of breath, Tim replied. "Followed….tried to lose them but…they've got heart-rate monitors now, they know we're here somewhere."

"Shit." Cursed Dick Grayson, his scar tensing up around his left eye. "We've got maybe 10 minutes before they start blasting through the sewer, and then we might as well shoot ourselves and save them the trouble. Did you get what we were looking for?"

Tim nodded and reached into his jacket, pulling out a small data drive. He threw it towards Dick. "I've got pictures here showing that it's still in the city. I don't think he's even tried to move it yet."

"Good," announced a gruff voice, "then there might be hope left in this godforsaken war after all." James Gordon emerged from the shadows, his trademark pipe still trapped between his teeth. "Most of the Gotham resistance was evacuated to our secondary safe house outside Bludhaven….it was getting too hot here anyways. The rest of us might want to start thinking about doing the same once we finish planting the explosives."

"Already done." Replied Barbara. "Just finished before Tim decided to bring the Imperium over for a play-date." Tim glared at her, his clenched fist trembling slightly. Jim ignored both of them.

"Then let's get the hell out of here before…." An explosion rocked the tunnel, the blast emanating from what used to be the false door leading into the base. Dick slammed a fresh magazine into his pulse rifle and motioned towards the opposite end of the base.

"I'd suggest taking the fire exit then, unless you guys have all of a sudden found God and put in a good word."

The four resistance fighters took off further into the base, followed closely by several columns of the remaining resistance personal. Jim removed a small, square device from his trench coat as they neared the exit. It quickly lit up with a proximity alert prompting Jim to slam his fist into the red button in its centre. Another explosion rocked the base, while sounds of agony echoed throughout the superstructure.

_Choke on that you goose-stepping feckless thugs, _he thought as he smirked to himself.

…..

...

...

The group emerged out of breath in a rundown neighborhood just north of Gotham harbour. They hunched over in an attempt to collect themselves. Jim spoke up again after a few precious seconds had passed.

"All right people, we've stashed a few stolen submersibles on the piers. If we're lucky, they're still intact enough to sail. If not….well I think we bought ourselves some time with the explosives but…."

Before he could finish that sentence, the unmistakable noise of a high-powered round cut through the damp evening air. Jim glanced to his right just in time to see Tim's head explode into a red, gory mist, the bullet ricocheting harmlessly off the wall behind him. His face contorted in horror as the boy dropped to the ground, lifeless and covered in his own blood and brain-matter.

"TIM!" Screamed Barbara, her arms reaching out in vain towards the now lifeless teen. Dick held her back.

"It's too late for him, he's gone!" he turned quickly towards Jim. "We need to move! NOW!"

Jim stared blankly at Tim's corpse for what seemed like eternity, before steading himself. "Christ….Fall back people! Get to the alleyways and head for the docks! Do not stop, I repeat DO NOT STOP! FOR ANYTHING!"

The resistance group sprinted for the cover of the alleyway as a second shot rang out, just barely missing the top of Dick's head. A third shot struck a man in his back as he went down with an anguished scream in front of Jim. Turning a corner, he un-holstered his two revolvers and turned defiantly back towards the street they had just come from. Dick and Barbara stopped in their tracks.

"Dad, what are you doing?!" Barbara screamed with pleading eyes. Jim looked back at her, remorsefully.

"Get the hell out of here, now! That's an order! I'll try to hold them off and buy you guys some time!"

"That's suicide you old fool!" Screamed back Dick while Barbara moved towards him on the verge of tears.

"Please Dad, we just lost Tim!"

"And I won't lose my daughter, not to him!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and squeezed, his face full of regret. "Please Barbara, go."

Tears flowed down her cheeks, but painfully, she nodded. She gripped his elbow tightly before pulling away. "I love you Dad…."

He brushed a tear off her face before turning his gaze towards Dick. "You take care of her, you hear me? I swear to god you'll wish you were killed by these goons too if you don't."

Dick looked back sympathetically as he ushered Barbara down the alley. "I promise. It's been an honor, Jim….." He too took off down the alley, leaving Jim and his two revolvers to face the oncoming hoard of Imperium soldiers. They darted into the adjacent street, their weapons draw. He walked forward, both weapons outstretched and pointed at the growing mass of Shock-Troopers, baiting them to open fire. Suddenly, a black shape hovered overhead, startling Jim temporarily. The shock quickly gave way to pure hatred as he shouted towards the sky.

"What's the matter? Too chicken-shit to face an old man on your own? Need your lobotomized convicts to do your dirty work for you?"

He could tell he was visibly shaking, but Jim held his ground regardless. A booming voice called out from the ether, its emotionless vitriol aimed solely at him.

"**Your attempts to bait me out into the open are pathetic, but I'll oblige you this time, old man. Every dying man should have at least **_**one **_**wish come true. But first…." **Two black, winged objects flew from the shadows and embedded themselves in Jim's wrists, the searing pain forcing him to drop them on the pavement. **"Let me relieve you of your weapons. Don't want you to hurt yourself while I beat you to death."**

The shadows seemed to come alive as an armoured figure descended to the pavement, his black cloak covering him almost fully. Cold, white slits gazed at Jim, send waves of hatred towards the grey-haired man as he motioned towards his troops to back off. Gordon raised his fists and entered a fighting stance, determined to go out with as much dignity as possible.

"I'm not scared of you Batman. These people might think you're some sort of demon, but I know you're just a lunatic in a bad Halloween costume."

He jumped at Batman and swung his fist towards his face. The masked figure effortlessly caught him by the wrist however, and pulling him forward delivered a vicious elbow to his face. He grabbed the dazed resistance fighter by the throat and heaved him into a near-by wall, the tell-tale sign of cracked ribs mixed with screams of pain echoed through the streets. Batman sneered.

"**You're not intimidating in the slightest Gordon. Never have been, never will. Don't delude yourself into thinking that you somehow matter in the grand picture," **he delivered a thundering uppercut to Jim's jaw as he attempted to stand, **"killing you here and now is just pure pleasure." **

Batman picked up the battered Jim Gordon by the back of his trench coat before delivering a powerful kick into his midsection. Gordon vomited up blood onto the sidewalk as his vision nearly blacked out. Batman allowed his bruised opponent to roll onto the sidewalk, where he placed his armoured boot on Jim's throat.

"Y-you can't…..win," Jim croaked out through a broken jaw, "you're just…just a man. Someone w…..will beat you…."

Batman cracked a small smile, **"Oh, I think you know damn well that I'm more than **_**just **_**a man. As for you….." **He pulled out a batarang from his utility belt, the sharp edge descending onto Gordon's throat as its shining black material reflected a distorted image of the rising sun. His smile grew wider. **"I'm going to enjoy flying your skin up the City Hall flagpole. Goodbye Jim Gordon, I can't say it's been a pleasure knowing you."**

And with that, Jim Gordon's world turned completely black.

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**And here's the prologue for the story. I figured that it was time for Batman to be the main villain of a "hero gone bad" story, so here he is in all his violently psychotic ways. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to leave critiques or questions in the comments. **


	2. Chapter 1: Collision Seculorum

**I should mention that, in order to make the transitions between universes a little easier to follow, I'll be assigning codes to each one like they do in the DC multiverse (or whatever's left of it). The DCAU will be Earth-861 (after Bruce Timm's birthday, seems fitting) and the alternate reality will be Earth-1793, also known as Year One of the Reign of Terror (in keeping with the Post-Revolution analogies). If its still a little confusing, just let me know and I'll see if I can't figure something out.**

**Also I should mention that this, being an Elseworlds story, is based around the DCAU interpretation of the characters, but not necessarily to a tee. Nor does that mean that this story follows what's happened in the DCAU either exactly; this isn't a post-Destroyer or pre-Starcrossed type of shindig. So feel free to envision what has transpired beforehand to your own liking, for now anyways. Depending on how this story goes, I might expand with sequels, prequels and maybe if I'm lucky a stage adaption made up completely of mimes, but until then, this is more or less a stand-alone story. **

**Thanks for the reviews folks, and hope you enjoy! **

**-Das Author **

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_**Chapter One: Collision Seculorum**_

_**Watchtower-Earth 861**_

Batman grunted as a crimson boot nearly slammed into his temple, his honed reflexes allowing him to quickly shift his weight and roll to the left. He was met with a flurry of punches; quick, inaccurate jabs designed to weaken his defenses and back him closer to the approaching wall. Noticing this, Batman turned and sprinted the short distance to it with his opponent in hot pursuit. He reached the dull grey wall and quickly leapt towards it, landing with his legs compressed at approximately eye height. As his pursuer narrowed her distance from him, he pushed off from the wall and vaulted over her, slamming his legs into her back with enough force to send her crashing into the reinforced metal. Unfazed, she spun around and launched a sweeping kick at Batman's head. He had been anticipating this however, and managed to duck as it soared over his cowl. Before her foot completely cleared him, he caught it and yanked hard to the right, causing its owner to lurch forward into the waiting fist of Batman. His punch managed to disorient her as she fell back towards the now dented metal. Recovering quickly, a second kick arched towards him as he launched himself into the air, the momentum causing him to spin 180 degrees. He extended his leg and followed with a high kick of his own, using his descent to amplify its power. His opponent easily blocked it with her forearms, however as soon as he landed he attacked her undefended legs with a swift sweep kick just behind her shins, knocking her to the mat with an audible _thump._ Adjusting his cloak, he reached out a gloved hand in a calming gesture of assistance. As she gripped his, he spoke in a neutral tone.

"You're getting frustrated and reverting back to brute strength over tactics. I know you're a better fighter than that Diana."

"Well it's hard not to when you're being shown up by a billionaire in his pyjamas." She retorted with a playful smirk, though a hint of frustration still managed to leak its way through. Batman picked up on this.

"You're holding yourself back so that you don't turn me into a black and grey mist, that puts the advantage in my court." He reassured. "Besides, these _pyjamas_ have beaten Superman once or twice. It's hardly an insult." He prefaced that last comment with an atypical Batman smirk that only she had the privilege of seeing. It helped raise her spirits slightly.

"Alright, what should I do now that I'm about to be crushed under your $2 million heel?" she teased.

"Switch up your tactics to something more emotionally stoic." He said, his tone more serious now. "It'll help you think more clearly when the battle gets heated."

"My Amazonian style is highly effective Bruce." She retorted.

"But it's familiar, and complacent on overwhelming strength and speed. If you ever have to face someone without your powers, or someone who can match your strength ten-fold, you'd be at a significant disadvantage. Switching up your fighting style will at least keep you opponent off balance."

She couldn't argue with that considering the fact that their entire skirmish had been playing out that way for the past hour and a half.

"What style are you using right now?" She asked.

"Jujutsu with a mix of Jeet Kune Do." He replied, readying a fighting stance. "It lets me use my opponents strength against them while conserving energy through quick strikes. Try it."

She nodded and began to mimic his fighting stance. He started circling her slowly while speaking.

"Analyze my strengths, find the weak-points, and strike with quick blows, always making sure you're out of range for any counters. If you're backed into a corner, grappling is a good way to buy yourself some time, but _never _engage head-on. Think you've got it?"

She nodded again, her eyes sharp and concentrated. _Use his strengths against him….._

"Good." With that, he sprinted towards her. Taken aback slightly, she tensed in anticipation of an assault, only to realize he had feinted his charge and was now maneuvering her into a vulnerable position. She realized late that he was going after he undefended midsection as he launched a blinding kick into her ribcage, the power behind it enough to cause her to grunt. She attempted to swing back at him, but he had already leapt backwards several feet. _He's quick, _she thought to herself, _I can't see him when he gets out of reach…_

Suddenly a smile crept onto her face. She readied herself for his next attack as he circled her, his movements fluid and seemingly effortless. Knowing that she wouldn't fall for another misdirection trick, he immediately went on the offensive, hurtling his fists at her. Only one of his punches connected as he began to retreat back out of her reach, however Wonder Woman anticipated this and managed to get behind his most likely escape route. Sticking out her leg, he tripped backwards just as her hand shot out and seized his wrist in a vice-like grip. She quickly pulled his arm behind him while shifting his body so that he landed face first on the combat mat, her entire mass pinning his arm behind him. He grunted and struggled briefly before resigning himself to her victory.

"Impressive Princess, you're a quick learner."

"I have a good teacher." She replied warmly. "He dressed a little odd though."

"Coming from the person wearing the American flag as her underwear…." He teased.

She smirked and tightened her grip on his arm, eliciting a grunt from her pinned opponent. "Does this mean I finally beat the unbeatable Batman?"

"Maybe…" he replied, "unless I do this."

She felt his other arm, which she had thought was already pinned beneath him, shift under her. Suddenly her left arm, the one which was supporting the entirely of her weight at the moment, went numb, causing her to lose balanced and fall on her face just aft of Batman's. Seizing the momentum, he rolled over onto her and pinned both her wrists to the mat while he sat on top of her. He was smiling now too.

"Nerve bundle near your elbow. You should be able to move it again in a few seconds."

"So I can throttle you for that cheap trick?" she asked playfully.

"I like to think of it as 'ingenuity'," he responded, feeling her arm begin to move around again. "Besides, unpredictability was central to my battle plan from the beginning. It's how I work."

She chuckled slightly, before turning towards him with a serious face. "How did I do though? I mean really, please don't sugar-coat it."

He let go of her wrists and rose, offering her a hand again. He replied in an equally no-nonsense tone. "As I said, you're a quick learner. Far more so than any I've seen before. Taking out a martial arts master like that is no small feat for someone who only just learned a new fighting style. You should be very proud of yourself Diana."

She smiled warmly at his compliment. "Thank you Bruce."

He smiled back. "Don't get cocky though, I still didn't even break a sweat."

"Really? That's not what it smells like." She sauntered her hips and crossed her arms. Her smile grew larger as Bruce's eye slits rose in surprise.

"I…." before he could respond her quickly turned towards the combat room's entrance. "How long have you been here Kent?" He asked in a humourless tone. The Man of Steel only chuckled.

"Long enough to get a decent show for free. You two done? The Watchtower computers just finished pouring over Brainiac's device."

"Let's go." Batman quickly said. Both Superman and Wonder Woman smirked at his expense.

"For a man who's cultivated an aura of nothing but fear, he can sure be a child at times." Superman sighed as Diana strode quickly out of the room with an audible laugh. Catching up to Batman, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"So what was this battle plan you were talking about?" She asked inquisitively.

"What do you mean?" Came his surprised reply.

"Back there, on the mat. You said you had a battle plan against me. What was it?"

He smiled. "Same as it always is Diana. Stall until Superman gets there."

This elicited an even louder laugh from Wonder Woman as the trinity of heroes entered the Watchtower's laboratory wing.

…

…..

….

The sound of the trio's footsteps echoed off the fluorescent floor as they entered the sweeping expanse of the Watchtower Central Laboratory. The gaping window, with its peerless view of the Earth slowly orbiting in front of the Sun, cast an immaculate glare into the sheer-white room. Futuristic technology that lined every crevice of every towering wall glowed as the star's rays reflected off their pristine material, be it an advanced series of computer terminals or a disassembled weapon strewn across several reinforced tables. Besides the teleportation equipment, this room was by far the most expensive wing of the Watchtower, alone accounting for over 30% of the total money siphoned off from Wayne Enterprises Research and Development Division. Bruce had assured the League during the Watchtower's unveiling that his own personal finances would recuperate much of R &amp; D's losses, though he felt that a potential charge of embezzlement was worth the risk in order to provide the growing League with every advantage possible. His gift to them, he had said.

At the far end of the main room was an isolated experimentation pod; a colossal, reinforced room designed to handle experiments with material considered hazardous even to the most powerful members of the League. The walls were lined with enough insolation of various designs to shield any of the rooms occupants from harm and were covered in a wide array of mechanical arms, while the room itself could be launched from the Watchtower at a moment's notice should something go awry with an experiment. To anyone besides the Justice League, it would seem like it was designed by a paranoid and insane mental patient. To those on the Watchtower, it was just enough to make them feel comfortable brining dangerous material onto what otherwise could have easily been a death-trap for them.

The remaining four founding members of the League were gathered just outside its large viewing window as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman entered the room. They were greeted by Flash impatiently tapping his foot on the metallic floor.

"Took you guys long enough. You know you're the only immortal one here Diana, right?"

"Shut up Wally." Batman interjected curtly, to the amusement of both Clark and Diana. He turned to J'onn J'onzz. "Has it been acting strangely since we brought it here?"

The Martian Manhunter turned from the control panel and replied in his typical dispassionate tone. "No, and that concerns me. Being detached from Brainiac, you would think its power levels would die out after several hours, or at least fluctuate enough to signal some form of sentient programming. But it's been….quite the entire time it's been here."

The group stared through the window at the mass of Kryptonian metal, its surface covered in various alien decals telling of its extra-terrestrial design. This innocuous piece was seemingly all that remained of the super-computer after his armada's defeat above the skies of Metropolis. The league had retrieved it from the ruins of the battlefield as much for morbid curiosity as to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. While Superman was originally hesitant to leave any portion of Brainiac intact, he eventually relented and agreed that it would be best to analyze what they had recovered in the hopes that they could devise some form of counter-measure against him in the event that he returned. They would, first and foremost, have to determine that the artificial intelligence within it was pacified before putting themselves at risk, especially since the Watchtower in of itself was a powerful weapon.

"The scanning software hasn't picked anything up? No signs of attempted network intrusion or AI activity?" Batman inquired.

"None. So far as we can tell, this debris poses no threat to us."

John Stewart, clad in his Green Lantern uniform, stepped forward towards the glass. "It doesn't look like it's just debris to me. The corners, its shape…it looks whole to me."

"Does it look familiar to you Superman?" Hawkgirl asked as the group turned towards the Man of Steel.

"Doesn't look Kryptonian to me. Brainiac's conquered thousands of worlds and integrated their technology into his design, this could be from any one of them."

"Should we space it then? Just in case." The Flash chipped in, his demeanour more serious this time.

"Not yet, this bares investigation." Replied Batman, his focus completely on the alien device in front of them. "But we can't risk an automated examination; for all we know, Brainiac is just acting dormant until we connect him to the Watchtower systems. Then he'll have complete control of the station and every weapon we have onboard. We'll need to dissect him manually."

"I'll do it." Volunteered Superman. "He's still fundamentally Kryptonian, and I know his workings better than anyone else."

"Which means he might have specific counter-measures waiting for you; it's too risky." Retorted Batman. He pondered for a second before looking back at the group. "I'll go. I may not understand alien technology to the same extent as Superman, but I did design this room and built most of the equipment I'll have to use. Kent can walk me through from behind the glass, make sure I don't cross any bad wires."

"This could be risky Bruce, are you sure…" Wonder Woman placed her hand on his shoulder, a look of concern flashing across her face.

"I'll be fine," he said, attempting to re-assure her. Flash sped beside them and placed his own hand on Diana's shoulder.

"This isn't the Bat's first rodeo. Besides, I'm sure we've all wanted to space him at some point or another." Both Bruce and Diana glared at Wally, but remained silent. Batman looked back at the group.

"If anything happens, priority one is containment. Clear?" They nodded in unison, not entirely thrilled about the direction the experiment seemed to be taking. Batman sighed. "Alright, it'll just take me a moment to change into a protective suit. Then we can start cracking Brainiac open…" a slight shutter ran up his spine, as even he caught the hint of grimness in that last sentence.

_There's nothing to worry about. _He thought as he entered the adjacent room. _This room is designed for this. If anything happens, we have counter measures in place. _He glanced ominously one more time at the chunk of Kryptonian super-computer waiting for him. _It would be nice if I wasn't in the room when they're activated though….._

…

…

…

"What do you see?" Inquired Superman, a sense of urgency and nervousness permeating his voice as he spoke.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Replied Batman, his voice muffled by the protective helmet he had donned. His fingers flowed over the devices interior wiring with expertise, despite the extra bulk of the heat-resistant gloves. Reaching into a small chamber just aft of what appeared to be the central processor, he held up a small, rectangular data chip so that the other 6 members could see it through the glass. "Lantern's right though: this isn't just some random piece that got knocked off his ship in the middle of the battle. Whatever it is, it's completely whole."

He started digging around the interior again, careful to not disturb any of the outlying technology as he combed for answers. Brainiac may be able to able to survive cataclysmic destruction, but that didn't mean he could be hap-hazard with his investigation, Batman thought to himself. Glancing up from his work, he noticed the energy readings from the device on a monitor above him. He stared at it, a puzzled expression now spread across his face.

"The energy levels are still remaining constant. Either I'm not touching anything important or…" he paused before continuing as he rolled his theories around in his mind. "Or maybe this thing has fail safe hidden somewhere, something that's regulating power in the critical portions of the device. That would explain why it's been so inactive." He dropped his tools before standing back from the device. The group of heroes outside remained completely silent as Batman mulled over the implications. Suddenly, it dawned on him. His face lit up in terror, as if someone had sent an electrical current throughout his entire body.

"That would mean it's pre-programmed to…"

Before he could completely his explanation, the device began to shift and spark as translucent blue energy poured out of it like lightning escaping a cloud. Its shape morphed fluidly between several derivations of a square as what look like a futuristic camera lens began to form inside one of the small chambers. Batman heard Superman bellow over the intense sound echoing in the air-tight chamber.

"BRUCE! GET OUT OF THERE BEFORE…" the Man of Steel too was cut off as the device lurched one final time, a large canon protruding from its side. Before Batman could react, the device spun towards the viewing window, an audible, robotic hum emanating as a ball of blue light began to glow on the end of its newly formed weapon. Bruce could only stare in horror as it fired, the resulting concussion knocking him back forcefully and causing nearly the entire laboratory to buckle.

The League members managed to duck just as the device fired a blue orb; its projectile crackled with energy as it sailed over the Justice League's covered heads. Instead of burying itself in the far wall, however, the orb hovered in place just behind the group, before it began to expand outward rapidly. It was at this point that the League realized they were being pulled back by an inescapable force, right towards the piercing light of the orb. Flash attempted to call out a warning before he was flung to the ground, the gravitational pull being far too powerful for him to remain upright. The ceiling in the room groaned under the inward pressure exerted by the powerful singularity as the six founders attempted to claw at the ground in a futile effort to halt their descent backwards. Batman, now recovered from the initial blast, looked on in horror as his friends desperately attempted to drag themselves to safety. Noticing that the event horizion hadn't reach his pod yet, he instinctively, reached for his grappling gun, only to find his utility belt covered in the thick fabric of his protective suit. He screamed in rage and attempted to rip open the suit at his waist, to no avail.

The section of floor underneath both Wally and Shayera gave way as screws and bolts shot out in multiple directions. With a scream that seemed to tear itself apart the closer they fell towards the singularity, they disappeared into the blinding void. John gasped in both rage and terror, only to have his own precarious grip on a decaying ledge ripped from him as J'onn collided with him, his own refuge having given out. They too tumbled back into the gaping maw of infinity, their own screams drowned out by the piercing noise of the orb. Seeing only Diana and Clark left, Batman rushed towards the now destroyed window with a long strand of wire in hand. He motioned towards his two allies as they desperately clung to the holes their super-powered fists had made in the floor.

"GRAB ON! I'LL TRY TO PULL YOU TO SAFETY!"

Just as he flung the wire out into the laboratory, the device behind him exploded in a powerful shower of sparks and metal. The blast was enough to send Batman flying ribs first into the reinforced wall separating the main labs from the isolation pod. The wire he had been clutching quickly exited his grasp as the impact caused him to nearly black out.

"BRUCE!" screamed Diana in shock as the detached wire flew by her face. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the floor give way under Clark as the power of the singularity markedly increased. Before she could reach her hand out to him, the integrity of the floor gave way, sending Superman hurtling towards to abyss. Her own strength began to fail as she once more gazed towards Batman. The look of terror on his face was heart breaking, his arm feebly stretched outward.

"DIANA!" he could feel the horror in his voice, the same he felt when he was 8 years old. His eyes only shot wider as the floor Diana was desperately holding to finally gave way. His anguished scream was drowned out by the roar of the orb as it claimed its last victim, Wonder Woman's body being completely absorbed by its cackling energy. And with that, the orb collapsed and the deafening noise ceased, leaving a battered and bloody Caped Crusader alone in the ruins of a once pristine laboratory.

Alone yet again.

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**Welp, that's the official first chapter. Hope everyone enjoyed reading it. Tune in next week to see the League come to the stunning realization that Air Miles don't transfer over different universes. Same Bat-Time, same Bat-Website. **


	3. Chapter 2: Tenebris Praeludium

**_Chapter Two: Tenebrosi P__raeludium_**

If the Justice League was physically capable of screaming, they would have been tearing their throats apart with the vibrations of each wail.

The membranes of reality pulsated around them as they tumbled through the barriers of the universe like a stone skidding across the surface of a turbulent ocean. Each wave of quantum foam violently slapped at the entirety of their organic makeup, the ever present ripping sensation striving to wretch them apart from the subatomic level up. Wonder Woman fluctuated between bouts of inhumane agony and utter bliss as her molecules assembled and reassembled around her. The overpowering sensation of the cosmos itself threatened to claim more and more of her as each cycle passed, as if the very laws of nature rebelled at her presence. All the while she was innately aware that she was moving, though the concept of movement seemed to hold no sway in the limbo she found herself in. Fear-a fleeting word that bounced around her mind as it was assaulted at all sides by the unquantifiable power of existence itself-was the only description she could agree on as to how she felt, though feeling itself was slowly losing its meaning to her as her mind teetered on the precipice of fragmentation.

She decided through her mental haze that, above all else, she hated the noise. It was a low hum that surged with each quiver of the surrounding membrane, like a viscous fluid streaming over impossibly black velvet. The parts of her that could muster solid thought cowered at the eerie yet southing sound juxtaposed against the violent current of space itself, while her more fractured components filled her with uncontrollable thoughts and emotions.

_We're going to die! _Screamed one, while another promptly chimed in, _we're witnessing the lifeblood of Chaos itself! _Another screamed for her mother, both bellowing for help and howling angrily at he exile. A related splinter cried for Bruce much like the final moments of earthly existence she could remember, the visage of his face frozen in terror permanently etched in her subconscious. Sadness crept in, then anger at his callous disregard for her safety, only to be replaced by the fear that she may never see him again. To never feel the heat of his breath during their sparring matches, to never bow in awe as a determined yet completely mortal man swung valiantly against gods and demons alike. His heart, she already missed his heart: even in the swirling colours of infinity she could remember the joy of each layer of darkness slowly peeling back, revealing the sweet and innocent man that inhabited the cursed, dark shell of the Batman. She grew angry with herself; for never saying what need to be said, for wandering around like a lost puppy behind the cloak of an emotionally broken man. And now she was to be forever cursed to remain nothing more than a memory, lost in what was surely a one way trip to some inconsequential pit of the universe.

Forever? Did time even have meaning in the seams of existence?

She vaguely recalled her friends, her allies, being swept into the maelstrom with her. She feared for their safety and cursed them for not reaching out to her in one, fluid thought. Where they even alive, or was she the only one left?

Just as the despair and emotional turbulence threatened to envelope her in blackness, Euclidean sensation returned to her with the abruptness of a locomotive collision: she was falling.

Her brief decent was cut short by the rigid back of Superman, himself having landed atop Hawkgirl. Flash painfully bounced off their pyramid of bodies while Green Lantern sailed over top of him into a near-by dumpster. The last to emerge was the Martian Manhunter, he briefly managed to land on his feet before an debilitating rush of vertigo forced him onto his stomach. The six heroes all let out collective groans of pain and exhaustion as their senses returned, each one equally gracious to hear signs of life from the others. Memories suddenly began to flood back as Wonder Woman picked up the shambles of her mind, the trauma of traversing the most alien of environments imaginable settling in her gut like a block of lead.

Wally was the first to compose himself and speak, only after heaving heavily onto the pavement.

"Is…is everyone alright?"

Shayera lurched, but managed to regain control of her digestive system. "That was the worst Boom-Tube experience I've ever had…"

J'onn grunted as he rose, an audible crack erupting from his lower back as he did so. "I don't believe that was a Boom-Tube. What we just experienced was…indescribable."

"I beg to differ. 'Hell' seems pretty damn appropriate to me." Retorted John, delicately picking trash off his uniforms as his muscles protested any immediate action. Wally limped to the Green Lanterns side.

"I'd rather deal with fire and brimstone than go through that again."

"Unless it means getting back to the Watchtower." John retorted with a strained cough.

Diana was now on her feet, silently cursing her imbued strength for doing nothing during that ordeal. Panic slowly crept into her mind; instant transportation was inexact even with a receiver, but Brainiac's device could have sent them half-way across the universe with no conceivable way of returning. Timidly, she looked around, a puzzled look creasing her face. Instead of the alien architecture of a foreign world, she and the group were staring at drab, grimy walls covered in what was clearly English graffiti. Shadows enveloped the alleyway, making it difficult for the group to see anything past their maroon reach. A dense quite permeated the location, further adding to the unnerving atmosphere.

"Where are we, exactly? This all looks familiar, but…"

"We're in Gotham." Superman interrupted, his face resolute now that his advanced healing had purged the temporary damage of their trip. Diana gazed at him, her confusion even more pronounced. Flash scoffed slightly.

"We really went through all that just to end up in Gotham again? I don't buy it."

Diana shared his skepticism. "How can you…" her question trailed off as the group was ushered out of the alleyway. They were greeted by the gothic spires of downtown Gotham off slightly in the distance, the luminescent pale moon casting foreboding shadows across the city. The group stood shocked, however, their faces each turning more and more pained as they gazed across the skyline. Instead of the great buildings of the Gotham they were accustomed to, each tower was littered with enormous holes and horrendous structural damage. They looked more like decaying trees reaching for the nourishment of a sun that never shone than the preeminent coliseums of commerce that Bruce had attempted to cultivate, each one visibly straining under the weight of its damaged exterior. The more unfortunate structures lay at the base of their damaged brethren as smoldering piles of rubble, felled either by years of decay or pummeled into the ground by whatever power had caused this cataclysmic destruction.

"Great Hera…." Exclaimed Wonder Woman, voicing what all League members were thinking.

"This place looks like a warzone," added John, "it's almost completely flattened!"

Instinctively, Diana placed her pointer and index finger to her ear, activating her League comm-link. "Wonder Woman to Watchtower; Batman do you read? Wonder Woman to Watchtower!" All she received was the cackling static of a dead line. Flash's mind immediately pondered the unthinkable as Diana continued to bark into her inoperable comm-link.

"Do you think Bats died up there? When that thing …I don't know, exploded?" There was worry in his voice as his eyes darted back and forth amongst the League members. "What if we're in the future somehow and with Bats dead, Gotham just went to shit? Hell, maybe even the world? We don't know how long we could have…"

"They're slaughtering them." Superman interjected, his voice completely solemn. All five of the other heroes paused as he turned towards them, his face contorted by the immense anguish he was feeling. "I can hear everything. People's doors being kicked in; guns firing; bullets hitting flesh and tearing through bone. Screams…screams everywhere." He looked completely overwhelmed now as he spoke, his eyes more haunted shells than the radiant beacons they were known for. He was completely taken aback that this carnage was happening in Gotham. "It's happening all across the city. People are being systematically slaughtered like...like slabs of meat. We're in a neighborhood completely filled with corpses." He paused one more time, attempting to collect himself. He finished with obvious pain in his voice. "And the only things I can hear from the people doing it are their damn boots marching on the pavement…"

Diana's initial shock wore off, now having converted itself to anger and determination. She spoke with as much authority as she could muster. "We have to try to find Batman. If he's still alive, he'll know what's going on."

John shook his head dejectedly. "Do you really think Batman would let his city turn into a stockyard? If anything, he was probably the first target for these thugs that Superman hears."

Wonder Woman's anger boiled further at the continued suggestions that Batman was dead. "We don't _know _that! We can't just give up on him; he could very well be buying his time until he gets help!" Before Green Lantern could object, she turned to the Martian telepath beside her. "J'onn, can you pick up on anything that might help us? Some hint as to where he is?"

J'onn stared apologetically at her, answering as kindly as he could. "I can't sense anything but pain in this city." He turned to Superman, visibly unwell as tremors wracked his otherwise indestructible body. "Whatever Superman hears out there, that's all I can pick up too."

"Guys…" Hawkgirl's voice snapped everyone's attention in her direction, a look of both confusion and worry permeated from her masked face. "I think I might know where he is." Silently she rose to the rooftops, the others following her in her ascension. As they reached the clearing above the decaying alleyway, they turned their gaze towards the direction that Hawkgirl was pointing. A collective gasp escaped their lips.

At the edge of the sprawling mass that was downtown Gotham sat a massive tower, far taller than anything on the horizon. The behemoth clawed at the sky with dark talons, while its lower mass was heavily fortified with a vast array of advanced weaponry. Crimson light pulsated from the tower's midsection, springing forth from a massive source of light.

The light was shaped like a Bat.

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**Sorry that this chapter's shorter than the last few, I just figured it would be better to end it here for pacing reasons. Also trying to come up with a way to describe passing through universal membranes took a lot of creative juice from me, and Grant Morrison won't share his stash with me anymore, so there's that too. Anyways, thank you all for the reviews and views, I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

**The first few chapters mostly serve as an introduction to the characters involved and the locations, so don't worry if you feel like the plot hasn't started yet; technically its only just beginning. While Batman and Wonder Woman will be the min DCAU focus, each character has their own little arc that will start soon.**

**Also, I'm not exactly sure why all the chapter names are in latin, but I like the way its looking so far. If you're curious, the first chapter is "Collision of Worlds" while this chapter is "Dark Prelude". **

**Feel free to leave suggestions/complaints/information vital to national security in the comments! **


	4. Chapter 3: Cruciabilique Revelationes

**First let me say thank you to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorite the story so far, I'm not exaggerating when I say that I'm thrilled you all are enjoying reading it! I haven't had this much fun since that incident with the clown, so I hope to keep going on this for as long as the story requires! **

**Second part is that I'm trying to have an upload schedule of 4 days, just to keep things consistent, but that more than likely won't be set in stone. I'm not saying this is going to turn into Superman: Unchained, but considering how exams are looming on the horizon there might be a few hick-ups in the upload schedule. **

**With that, I hope you enjoy Chapter 3, and thanks again for all your support! **

* * *

_**Chapter Three: **__**Cruciabilique Revelationes**_

_**The Batcave: Earth-861**_

He wasn't sure how long he had been staring at the Batcomputer monitors anymore. The fact that his eyes were painfully straining against the swelling of their blood vessels pointed to an uncomfortably long time, as did the persistent sting of discomfort in the enclosed fist which had remained closed since he entered the Batcave. Not that he cared anymore; his mind was churning with an emotional maelstrom, but through the fog he could sense the presence of complete submission, that he should simply allow his injuries to finally pull the tarp over his walking corpse and slip into the abyss that had been hounding him since he was 8 years old.

He had lost, in the most traumatic way imaginable. Right now, nothing but that heart wrenching thought mattered.

Piercing the veil of anguish yet again, his mind wandered back to the Watchtower, to the moment he saw his friends vanish from existence. Without so much as a second to comprehend what had just transpired in front of him, his emotions had assumed complete control over every muscle that was still functional. He remembered the blood curdling scream of agony and sadness that had escaped his mouth after the orb disappeared, the primal wail echoing throughout the halls of the Watchtower like a cry from Death itself. Any piece of technology that remained intact in the laboratory was soon smashed to dust, each slab within reach acting as a conduit for his complete and total sense of failure and loss. The flesh on his knuckles tore just as easily as the fabric on his gauntlets and protective suit, the same damn suit that cost the Justice League their lives. The bones in his legs ached, but he did not allow them the satisfaction of stopping, not while he was swirling in despair and grief. The danger of his mental state finally donned on him when he started creating a list of Rogue's Gallery members he could hunt down and hurt, in ways that even in his moment of weakness sickened him to his very core. The thoughts of wanton and brutal violence unbecoming of a crime fighter finally spurred enough of Batman's collective demeanor to halt his march of destruction. He knew the lab had been destroyed, more by him than from the cursed weapon he had brought on board, but he didn't care. None of that mattered now.

The image of Diana struggling against the very forces of the universe remained ingrained in his mind, eliciting a sense of helplessness not felt since that fateful day in Crime Alley. It was all he saw as he teleported down to the Batcave, and it remained as omnipresent now as he slumped dejectedly in his chair.

_I could have saved her….._ he convinced himself, _I _should _have saved her. Why? Why did I let this happen!?_ His anger began to spike again as he replayed her final moments in a continuous loop in his head, as if it were some torturous theatre of the damned. It might as well be, he thought, after all he had killed her. Diana was dead; the League was dead, all at his hands. It was his worst nightmares come true, and he deserved to wallow in it for as long as he lived. Hell may not exist, but Bruce was more than prepared to create one for himself to torture his already blackened soul until the day the void finally reached forward and claimed him as its own.

Groaning, his attempts to mentally lambaste himself again for his careless actions were met head-on by a wall of fatigue. Rubbing his temples, he gazed towards the end of the Batcomputer, the lights of its Spectrographic Analysis equipment flashing ominously in the dimly lit cave. The few remains he could gather of that damnable device in his brief moment of clarity were hovering in the mechanical arms of his equipment, each subcomponent being examined and re-examined at blinding speed. He cursed himself yet again for allowing those malevolent shards to hold his curiosity hostage, his inner detective barely being able to fight off his desire to simply smash the pieces into a fine dust. He rubbed his temples again, this time with increasing force.

His mind briefly cleared of the painful replay he continuously revisited as the pressure in his temporalis muscle began to build to distracting levels. Through this self-inflicted pain he realized that Alfred was standing behind him, a medical tray in hand.

"I must say Master Bruce, I'm troubled. I've been rooted to this spot for well over half an hour and you've yet to even acknowledge my existence."

Bruce swivelled in his chair, rising as he met Alfred eye to eye. Despite the exorbitant injuries he had suffered at the hands of criminals over the years, Bruce could always see a brief flash of pain in the butler's eyes whenever a new round of treatment began. This time, however, he made no attempt to engage his friend in pleasantries; instead his weary eyes bore holes into the stalactite just above his head.

"I killed them…Alfred. I should have listened to Wally and just destroyed Brainiac's device, or at least launched it far enough away for any idiot like me to reach it. Now…they're all dead, because of me…"

Surprise seized Alfred's face as questions flooded his brain, the sheer power behind Batman's words being enough to cause tremors to wrack his frail arms. They were quickly replaced by a scowl, as the Englishman shifted gear and began to direct his growing concern towards Batman's self-pity.

"You did no such thing, sir. If I remember correctly, it is League protocol to analyze all intact technology for potential defensive purposes. Something I believe was unanimously agreed upon by the Founders. Whatever unfortunate accident has transpired, it is hardly your fault."

"I could have made an _exception!_" Batman sneered, his voice laced in vile self-loathing. "I _knew _this was dangerous, and I _still _went ahead with the experiment. My friends were ripped apart by their own atoms because I wanted to play scientist!"

Alfred wanted to comfort Bruce, knowing that the pain he was feeling must have been debilitating. But the near catatonic state he had only just awoken from clearly telegraphed that he was teetering on the edge of a dark abyss, and more important to Alfred, he had to pull the Batman back onto solid group.

"You talk as if they were a bunch of helpless _school boys_ on a field trip, instead of the shinning knights of valor that they _still _are. They would have gladly sacrificed themselves for any chance at keeping the world safe, however slight and however fruitless, because they were _heroes_! I will not allow you to degrade them to the level where you feel as though you have to protect them from harm!"

Batman stood solemnly, attempting to formulate a comeback. Emotions gripped his mind in an inescapable cage, and instead Bruce found himself swinging his fist into his chair behind him, screaming in both emotional and physical agony as his crushed knuckles penetrated the reinforced material. Alfred quickly seized upon the outburst, his tone significantly calmer now.

"Mourning is expected, Master Bruce, I understand that you have suffered a great loss today. But self-pity…" his face hardened as he placed a hand on Batman's trembling shoulders, "self-pity demeans both you and the League. How would Miss Diana react to you wallowing around down here, harming yourself more and more each minute?"

Bruce turned towards his guardian with a sunken face, his eyes no longer burning with fiery anger but rather reflecting the look of someone hopelessly lost. He bowed his head as Alfred continued, a slight chuckle escaping his lips as he attempted to defuse the situation with a touch of dry humour.

"I dare say Master Bruce; she would probably pull those glass shards out of your arm personally."

Batman's head snapped upwards, his blue eyes screaming at the epiphany that just struck him. "Glass…" he mumbled as he fluidly strode towards the Batcomputer.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred inquired, his face now reverting to the confused look he had originally worn. Batman began furiously typing into the computer as he spoke.

"Brainiac's device shot outward towards the League, meaning it had to pass through the observation glass. Whatever that device fired, it should have sent the shards out towards them when it impacted." He pulled up the various angles of the laboratory security footage on the monitor, each frame showing a slowed down replay of the cataclysmic event. Alfred noticed in the periphery of his vision that Bruce didn't even flinch as the device morphed into what looked like a weaponized cannon and fired.

"There!" Batman exclaimed, his finger pointing to the footage from inside the pod. "The glass was completely intact when the device fired; it was the _shockwave _that destroyed the window!" Sure enough, the footage perfectly showed the growing blue orb pass harmlessly through the window, only to have the glass pulverized seconds later by a barely visible shockwave.

"An energy weapon wouldn't do that," Batman continued, "it would have melted the glass, or the pressure from the beam would have completely obliterated it. It all makes perfect sense now…"

"What does, Master Bruce?" questioned Alfred.

"Look at how they enter the orb. No crushing, no burning, they just…disappear." He responded, the sudden lack of emotion in his neutral tone concerned the butler slightly. He highlighted several sections of the lab with a crimson label. "That and there are radiation detectors built in throughout the laboratory. A weapon that could obliterate the entire Justice League would give off immense levels of detectable gamma rays, let alone fry half the equipment in the room, but they don't pick up so much as a blip of radiation from the orb. Whatever this thing is, it looks like it's designed to be completely safe to enter, minus the overpowering gravitational pull it exerts." His eyes suddenly lit up like blue spotlights, as he quickly turned towards Alfred. His voice was laced with both excitement and wonder.

"Just like a boom-tube…"

Alfred pondered Batman's words, letting his train of logic roll around in his mind for a brief second. He responded with an inquisitive glare.

"So you're postulating that…"

"They aren't dead." Batman interrupted. "Just…transported somewhere."

Alfred's gaze turned somber as his natural skepticism kicked in. "Master Bruce, are you positive?" He hated having to ask the question as Batman's shoulders visibly slouched, weighed down by his own doubt. His response was equally dejected.

"No, and even if I'm right, the League will still need my help. They could be anywhere in the universe right now with no life-line or support, which means I need to find a way to rebuild the device and replicate its coordinates _fast_. And I know just who to ask for…_help."_ He prefaced that last word with a stinging batglare, his dread at even having to consider help, let alone from the individual he was considering, physically manifesting on his scowling visage. Batman briefly eyed the salvaged pieces in the Batcomputer before abruptly turning towards the Batmobile, ready to immediately sprint into action. Alfred's concerned voice, however, rang out in protest.

"Sir you're in no condition to prance around the Eastern seaboard kicking in doors! Your injuries are…"

"Non-severe." He countered. "I have a medical kit in the Batmobile."

"But you haven't slept for well over a day, what with Brainiac and now the League's disappearance…"

Batman had already reached his car by the time he responded, urgency and frustration seeping into every word he spoke. "I don't have the luxury of _time _Alfred! If they need my help, and they _will_, I should have started looking the moment I left the Watchtower! I will not, I _cannot_, fail them again…"

Leaping into the sleek, ebony car, Alfred could see the strain on Bruce's face as he again prepared for another round of mental lambasting. The distinguished Englishman could not prevent a look of concern from materializing on his face as the Batmobile sped off recklessly down the Batcave's exit tunnel. His anxiety increased as he pondered every way Bruce could harm himself in his troubled mental state. He stood, dispirited, in the now empty and quiet cave.

"Very good, sir…" was his only reply.

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**And like that, Chapter 3, "Anguished Revelations", is in the books. Writing dialogue for Alfred might just be the most fun a writer can have fully clothed, so this probably won't be the last time he turns up. Who is this mysterious "help" Batman seeks? Will he be able to locate his friends? Exactly how many species of dolphins are there!?**

**About 40, the answer is about 40. All of them far creepier than we like to delude ourselves into thinking. **

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed and feel free to comment on things you liked/didn't like!**

**Just stay away from dolphins, seriously...**


	5. Chapter 4: Supermundanae Hospes

**Of course the moment I mention an upload schedule I would end up delaying the next update...why am I not surprised? Anyways, sorry about that, hopefully the wait wasn't too bad. **

**Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews/follows, I greatly appreciate all of them and I try my best to take each suggestion (that doesn't involve plot anyway: that has already been decided in ye-ol story outline) to heart, so thank you guys again! **

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

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**_Chapter Four: Supermundanae Hospes_**

_**Gotham City: Earth-1793**_

The League gaped at the gothic structure in front of them, the piercing crimson of the enormous bat stretching across their field of vision. Even from a distance they could see entire swaths of the devastated city bathed in its glow, like an all-seeing eye laying claim to wherever it touched. Millions upon millions of questions flooded the hero's minds; however the group visibly struggled to overcome paralyzing shock that held them captive as they floated above the mangled streets of this alternate Gotham. Shayera, having been the first member to lay eyes on the fortress, managed to compose herself in the shortest order.

"I think we found him." She said, desperate humour attempting to worm its way into her voice.

"He's really going all-out vampire with that Bat-Fortress, huh?" Flash jested, his form still suspended above the roof tops by Green Lantern.

"Look at the size of the weapons that thing is packing," exclaimed John, "you could hold off an entire alien armada with those things!"

Diana stared at the cannons inquisitively. The implications of an armed tower and the systematic slaughter Clark and J'onn had sensed weaved an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. Attempting to squash it, she turned towards the League.

"Maybe that's what they're for…this could be some kind of civil war that Batman's trying to fight against, and the tower marks the territory under his protection?"

Green Lantern shook his head dejectedly and waved his hand over one of the more demolished areas of the city. "He wouldn't just let all these people get slaughtered without trying to _something_, Diana." He turned towards her with the best sympathetic face he could muster. "I don't like to think about it, but something tells me that Batman's behind all this."

Diana glared at him, her voice rising slightly. "It doesn't make sense; Batman would never use a weapon like that!"

John face morphed into a scowl, his patience now wearing thin. "Have you seen his plane lately?"

Before she could respond, Shayera's mace cackled with energy. "I say we kick his door in and ask him ourselves; save us the trouble of guessing."

J'onn immediately moved in front of her, his telepathy sensing Hawkgirl's need to expend her built up adrenaline. His eyes shuffled back and forth between her and the rest of the League.

"Attacking the tower without getting better acclimatized to what we're up against would be suicidal. This is Batman after all; he's more than likely prepared for an assault against him, regardless of who his opponents might be."

"We don't know its Batman yet!" Diana's growing rage overflowed as she screamed out. She gazed sheepishly at the stunned reactions from the League, embarrassment over her outburst creeping onto her face. An already agitated Green Lantern responded in kind.

"Look Princess…being in denial…"

"I…" again she attempted unsuccessfully to respond, her body language telegraphing the fact that she was well aware that she was deluding herself. Her ability to rationalize anything transpiring in front of her was severely hampered by the thought that Bruce had turned into a monster, its implications hitting her already raw nerves like a precision missile. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Superman floating just aft of her, his piercing eyes still trained on the mutilated skyline. Concern for her friend took over all muscle function as she drifted towards Superman, deftly placing her hand on his shoulder. "Superman…are you alright?"

His face barely shifted at her touch, the vicious screams of thousands still echoed deafeningly throughout his head. The curse of his super hearing picked up every dying breath with perfect clarity, the distinct cries of children mixing seamlessly into the desperate sobs of their parents. As he finally registered Diana's presence, the invincible Kryptonian briefly contorted into being of complete agony, his pained expression showing with certainty that the horrors he could only distantly bare witness too would haunt his nightmares until the day he died.

"Kal?" She repeated again, her concern only growing as she stared into his eyes. He gently swiped her hand away as he turned back towards the rest of the League.

"I…J'onn is right. We're at a complete disadvantage until we know more about…" he glanced around at the dark visage of Gotham again, "about what's happening here." His gaze met Diana's again. "If Batman is somehow involved, then we can't take any chances by attacking him head on."

She nodded, painfully submitting to the only logical explanation for both the destroyed city and the tower. Shayera, still anxious, broke the fleeting silence.

"So what do we do until then? We clearly don't have some sort of HQ to go back to anymore."

"And I don't think these guys like tourists that much either." Mused Flash.

"He can't be everywhere, right?" Questioned John, legitimate skepticism thinly lining his inquiry. "There's got to be some place where we can lie low and regroup."

Just as Lantern finished his sentence, a blinding flash of light illuminated the group. Seconds later a wave of heat swept over them as its companion shock wave bluntly bowled over the off-balance League. The dazed heroes timidly looked towards the south end of the city as a raging inferno, originating from a massive, newly formed crater, began to sweep across the area, its fiery tendrils consuming anything unfortunate enough to be caught in its wake. A look of panic flashed across the now rejuvenated Superman.

"No time for that now, someone is in serious trouble!"

"No argument from me." Deadpanned Hawkgirl as she sped towards the devastated region. Green Lantern placed Flash on the asphalt below as he took off alongside her, the remainder of the group promptly following suit. Wonder Woman quickly pulled up beside the racing Superman, his face deprived of any expression.

"Throwing caution to the wind already?" she inquired.

"We don't have a choice." the reply was curt and direct, his eyes never leaving the growing firestorm, "No one else is dying here today, not on my watch." The sheer determination laced with barely audible pain caused Diana to tense up as if she was flying through a sheet of ice. Her own discomfort began to flood back into her psyche as she pushed ahead, her curiosity towards what Clark had been hearing across Gotham mixing with her persistent denial that Bruce was in anyway involved. She closed her eyes and sighed.

_Hera, what are we getting ourselves into? _

…

…

…

The young boy trembled as an armoured soldier gripped his older sister tightly around the neck. He glanced around the bustling street at the thousands of Imperium hit-men rounded up the neighborhoods inhabitants. He had dreaded this day; the day the Terror's eyes would fall upon his community and deem them unworthy of life. The kids were always killed first he had heard, their parents cruelly forced to watch on as their progeny were slaughtered before their very eyes. He had always thought they'd be safe so long as they did everything that was asked of them, no matter how immoral or scaring it may be.

Evidently, that wasn't enough. It was their time at the chopping block now, and even in his naïve youth he knew that no one could save them. They were alone in front of the laughing void.

His father's attempts to call to her were quickly silenced as a dull and dented baton slammed into his mouth, white bits of teeth stained with blood shooting out in every direction. His mother screamed, torn between caring for her battered husband and begging for her daughter's life. The boy could make no sound as he felt the faint trickle of a tear run down his cheek, its salty composition painfully mixing with the blood oozing out of a cut below his right eye. The Imperium Shock-Trooper that had recently assaulted his father's mouth turned towards him, his voice dripping with vitriol as his twirled his black and red Officers beret around his pointer finger.

"Real men don't cry kid. Looks like we're gonna have to learn that the _hard _way."

Without so much as a hand wave, the soldier holding his sister produced a glistening knife in his hand. Less than a second later the sickeningly wet sound of pierced flesh caused him to jerk his head away, the sound of his mother's anguished screams drowning out the gurgling death rattle of his beloved sister. The tears poured out of him now as they unceremoniously allowed the corpse to drop to the blood-smeared pavement. The murderer trained his knife on the young one now, his muffled voice completely neutral behind the expressionless mask as he approached the now gagging boy.

"Sorry kid, just following orders." He stated as he moved closer.

Before he could raise his arm to deliver the killing swipe, a red and blue blur collided with the Imperium soldier, bits and pieces of grey and black armour flying in varying directions as the force of the hit drove him hard into an abandoned house across the street. The entire street seized up in an instant, their eyes trained on the now demolished brick house. Suddenly another red shape sped past them, many of the Imperium soldiers almost instantaneously finding themselves either on the ground or completely disarmed. A green blast of energy simultaneously plowed into the concrete next to a large group of soldiers, the resulting explosion rag dolling them into the air. The shocked civilians began to stand as every Imperium soldier who still possessed sufficient motor function trained their eyes towards the sky. Descending from the clouds like the mythical angels of lore was a group of colourfully clothed beings, their expressions a clear mix of confusion and anger. The citizens stirred in fear, murmurs of terror mixed with outright screams. The soldiers remained rooted where they were, their blank protective helmets betraying no emotion.

The red blur that had relieved many of them of their weapons materialized as a man and returned to the group as they landed, his face a mix of condescension and kindness. He dramatically lifted his arm out towards the huddled civilians and spoke in an exaggerated voice.

"Have no fear, the Justice League is…" without warning, the Imperium soldiers opened fire on the interlopers, sending the innocents scurrying into every hole and crevice they could find. Out of the corner of the frightened young boy's eye, he could see the former blur duck behind the one wearing a giant red _S_ and mumble something to him that was unintelligible to the fleeing youth…

…

…

…

"What, do they not believe in finishing sentences here?" Flash remarked as he shot behind the bullet proof Man of Steel. Superman's stoic expression remained unchanged.

"Get the civilians out of here as quickly as possible while we handle these goons." Under the barrage of ricocheting pulse rounds, Superman could see the Flash nod before he sped towards the rounded up bystanders. He craned his head towards the rest of the League behind him, their stances at the ready.

"League…take these clowns."

Before he had even finished his command, Hawkgirl burst forward with a piercing battle cry, her charged mace slamming into the nearest armoured soldier. The blow was devastating enough to completely smash apart both his weapon and his protective gear as he was propelled backwards into a comrade, though his padding managed to dull any otherwise deadly trauma. A second and third swipe of her mace managed to part a row of soldiers violently to either side as she continued to charge forward, her Thanagarian costume easily deflecting the volley of enemy fire heading her way.

Superman rose above the crowd of hostile soldiers, his imposing figure blocking out the pale moon behind him. He glared at the approaching platoon as he compressed his chest inward, then with unparalleled force; he exhaled and released a powerful blast of super breath at a cluster of enemies. Its unstoppable path of destruction sent the disoriented attackers careening violently into anything strong enough to still stand. They're utter silence, apart from the audible crack of broken limbs, chilled the Man of Steel to the bone. Shaking it off, he plunged head first into an advancing column, his carefully restrained fists plowing through the hapless Shock-Troopers.

One of the officers turned on his heels and attempted to run for cover, only to be close-lined by the suddenly materialized arm of the Martian Manhunter. His Martian vision, carefully constructed to only be concussive in nature, cleared out several rows of approaching enemies as he spun his head 180 degrees, his arm quickly snapping out behind him in time to catch a near-by soldier hard in his jaw. Seeing a brief reprieve in targets, he rose into the air and began scanning the minds of the armoured shock troopers that surrounded the League, hoping to find a mental weakness the League could exploit. His eyes lit up in shock as he turned towards Diana, the Amazonian warrior currently preoccupied with a five-man dog pile that she had effortlessly broken up.

"I'm not sensing any high level neural activity from the ones with the helmets!" he shouted over the roar of combat. Diana looked at him inquisitively as she smashed her fist into the visor of a soldier.

"They're not conscious?"

Her foot collided with the skull of a charging enemy while both her fists shattered the abdominal protection of two others. She heard J'onn's reply as she delivered a vicious elbow into the head of a third opponent.

"Only on the most basic level; I think they only barely register that they're engaged in combat!"

A sweeping spin kick caught a shock trooper just under the chin, causing his helmet to sail off into the chaotic crowd. Bones creaked as the soldier turned his head back towards Diana, who let out an audible gasp at the sight before her. His skin was a ghostly sheet of white, the only noticeable colour being the purple pigment in his unnaturally visible veins. His eyes were a hollow beige colour, the iris's completely lifeless. Most striking was the scar tissue in the middle of his forehead; it caved in towards his skull while the surrounding area was shadowed in a sickly brown colour, as if it was a shrivelled leaf. The unmasked soldier wore a blank expression; from her perspective, Diana could have sworn she was looking at a ghost.

Before she could react further, a bullet tore through his skull, crimson blood staining his pale, lifeless skin. Shocked, she turned towards a blood-stained soldier, his beret flying off his head as his uncovered face contorted in a look of pure hatred. He screamed something inaudible as he charged towards Wonder Woman, his storm of bullets harmlessly deflected by her bracelets. Without hesitation she whipped out her lasso, the magical bonds wrapping tightly around his wrists and cut off circulation to his hands, causing him to drop his weapon as Diana hoisted him into the air. Swinging to her left sharply, he rag dolled into a column of shock troopers with incredible force, taking out at least a dozen of them from the battle.

The Flash meanwhile was busy darting in between debris as he scooped up as many civilians as possible. The fact that they were being excessively uncooperative only compounded the fact that Wally had no idea what counted as "safe" in the town anymore. _If Batman's gone to the darkside, then there's a good chance even the phone booths are rigged, _he mused as he dropped off another family. He craned his neck towards Green Lantern, who had just constructed a make-shift trench complete with rubber-bullet filled machine guns aimed at herding the growing number of soldiers into a controllable area. Flash could tell from the look on his face that the former Marine was concerned.

"What's the situation GL?"

"These guys just keep coming! I'm practically re-enacting the Siege of Stalingrad right now!"

Flash sped through a line of soldiers, his fists flailing wildly, before returning under the hovering Lantern. "There's still gotta be at least a hundred civvies still here too; I have no idea how I'm going to get all of them out of here in one piece…"

John's gazed turned back towards Superman, who had just pile dived into the middle of a large collection of soldiers, the sheer force behind his attack launching several of them high into the air. Hawkgirl soared down from the sky like a predatory bird and plucked two of them out of their free fall, though before they could struggle out of her grasp, she hurled them towards another column of face-less mooks with incredible force. On the periphery of his vision, he could see shards of concrete shoot out in all directions from another of Superman's attacks. This time, they were headed directly for a group of terrified civilians. His eyes illuminated in abject terror.

"Wally!"

"Yeah I got them!" he shouted as he raced towards them. Launching off a distracted soldier he began to vibrate his legs at super-sonic speeds, the resulting air current deflecting the incoming shrapnel as he flew through the air. Without stopping he landed on the ground and swept the family of three into his arms, his red blur of an image hurriedly depositing them in a warehouse with several other rescued survivors some ten miles away. Seeing this, Green Lantern dropped his trench-construct and shot towards Superman, his ring dropping low-yield bombs along the way as if he was a humanoid bomber. He reached Clark just as he had polished off another group of soldiers.

"We need to retreat!" he shouted over the chaos of battle. Superman stared at him; a shocked look entrenched on his face.

"Are you crazy!? I'm not going to stick my tail between my legs and turn my back on these people?"

"For every one soldier we put down, about three more pissed off ones take their place. And in case you haven't noticed, they're in more danger from collateral damage than they are from a mook with a gun right now!"

Superman quickly scanned the battlefield, the total carnage just now sinking in. Hoards of armoured soldiers poured into the street while hundreds of civilians clamored into hiding, each one only a hairs length away from receiving a bullet meant for one of the Leaguers. He sighed as Green Lantern spoke up again.

"We're the bigger threat right now, so we should be their priority target. If we fall back to an empty part of the city, we can pull these guys out into the open where there aren't any bystanders and take them _hard_."

The ex-Marine was right and Clark knew it, he couldn't let his guilt at being too late to help compromise anyone else's safety. He bellowed towards the rest of the group.

"Fall back! Rendezvous at City Hall; we'll hold the line there!"

The League dropped what they were doing and stared at the Man of Steel. Both Shayera and Diana wanted to object, but a quick glance from J'onn dispelled that urge as he shot past them. They quickly pulled back towards their exit route as the Flash zipped in between buildings ahead of them. Superman glanced at John as they both pivoted in the air.

"I just hope you're right." He stated, his voice was solemn and regretful as opposed to untrusting. John picked up on this immediately.

"That makes two of us." He replied.

Behind them, the Imperium soldiers stared into the sky at the retreating super beings that moments earlier had been pounding them into the dirt. One of the Officers, after being broken from his trance, held up his index and pointer finger towards his ear.

"Alpha-Five to command, come in command…"

…

…

…

The robotic lurch of mechanical joints echoed deep within the bowls of the imposing gothic tower, their sound tempered only slightly by the muffling effects of their flesh cover. The dim lights situated above the dark and grimy floor concealed the entire region in shadows, enough so that the two guards placed in front of the reinforced door were barely distinguishable from the wall behind them. Stepping promptly through the door, the cybernetic being hurried his pace as he approached the elevated throne in the centre of a large, open expanse. Seated in the throne was the dark outline of a large, armoured man, the pointed ears of his cowl contrasted against the light from his multiple computer monitors creating an imposing silhouette. He didn't need to worry about alerting his Master to his presence; more than likely, he had been aware of him since the moment he stepped off the express elevator.

Each monitor displayed a different region of the city, from the decaying spires of Downtown to the annihilated settlement that once housed thousands of political prisoners. The dark figures attention, however, was completely divided between two screens playing on loop. The first showed a group of six individuals tumbling out of what appeared to be a pulsating blue orb; the next was a recording of those same beings pummelling his Imperium soldiers, each one displaying an impressive level of power. The mechanical hybrid stopped next to his Master as his gravelly voice called out to him.

"**Luthor?"**

"The Commander in charge of Section 11-B's extermination has reported an unusual occurrence, Master." The cyborg responded in a human, but completely unemotional voice.

"**I can see that." **His eyes did not move from the screens.

"He wonders if they should go after the interlopers."

"**Of course they should, we're not on a schedule." **The shadow stroked his chin as he played with the zoom on the screen broadcasting the recently concluded fight.

"Should I warn them that it is a trap?"

"**No, I want to see the look of terror on his face when he realizes that himself." **He responded with no delay. He turned slightly to look at his robotic servant. **"You may take your leave, Luthor. Inform me if my presence is needed elsewhere."**

The cyborg bowed slightly as he turned towards the exit. The shadowy figure returned his full attention to the monitors, his gloved finger quickly hitting the pause button on the replay. Typing in a short command into his computer, the entire screen lit up with the image of Wonder Woman dragging a helpless officer into the air by his wrists. A small smirk formed on the man's face as he stared at the still.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it _Princess_?"

* * *

**I'm starting to see why screenwriters let directors shoulder the burden for action scenes; trying to describe unique fighting moves without devolving into some derivation of "X kicks Y in the nuts" is taxing...**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy the Chapter! Like I said above, I do have a story outline (of about 12 pages in length), so I know where I'm going with this, but in all honesty the cliffhangers are working out beautifully almost completely by accident. Mostly because they only thing I love more than a backrub from David Bowie is the knowledge that someone out there is anxious for the next chapter. Cruel? Yes, but if this was a TV show it would be a killer boost for the ratings...**

***Quick aside; I forgot that the first enemies the Justice League encounters in the show (based off the White Martians from Grant Morrison's JLA run) are also called "The Imperium". These are different other chaps; I picked the name because "Imperium" in Latin means "power to command", hence the Latin chapter titles.**

**The more you know...**


	6. Chapter 5: Desperatis Interrogatio

**Sorry again for the slight delay for this Chapter; I was preoccupied with being slightly nerdier than normal (because somehow that's physically possible, who knew right?) and seem to have lost track of time. Hopefully it being one day isn't too bad, as I hope to keep a somewhat consistent schedule centred around a 4 day publishing period, but every now and again I foresee the occasionally delay. **

**Anyways, again, thank you guys so much for the reviews and story follows! I'd like to say my entire self worth is based off stuff like this, but that seems far too pathetic...and true, unfortunately...**

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter, and as always, don't be afraid to share your thoughts! I swear you're not powering some ancient Eldritch Abomination when you do that. **

**Like...72% sure anyways...**

**As a slight aside, I'm not sure if I need to put a disclaimer for every chapter, but just in case, none of these characters are owned by me nor are any of their wonderful toys. The plot _is _owned by me, but I'm pretty sure any copyright case involving fanfiction will be thrown out of court the moment it enters, so good luck with that...**

* * *

**_Chapter Five: Desperatis Interrogatio_**

_**Metropolis: Earth-861**_

_Tower's 2100 feet tall…..need an angle of descent of about 78 degrees from this altitude to reach his office. Glass is probably bullet proof, but nothing an explosive Batarang can't handle…..subtlety isn't an option anymore. Frame is big enough that I can probably hit it from about 200 feet up if my descent is straight. Set it to a 10 second fuse, low yield blast, minimal risk to internal occupants. Need to be careful with the explosives; he has to be fully lucid to get all the intel I want. Might require…..advanced interrogation techniques, depends on how much he stalls. Security systems already disabled, so a response isn't likely. Still….need to hurry, should have already been here. Wasting precious seconds every moment I'm not rebuilding that device….. _

_Fear is good….cake on the intimidation, the brutality, anything to get him to talk. Stick to the shadows; maybe back him into a wall so that he feels trapped, claustrophobic. Near a window preferably so that I can dangle him out of the tower. The looser his lips, the quicker I'm back in the lab trying to get them…..home. His safety isn't my concern; 3 emergency rooms within 15 minutes of his office means I can leave him as bloody and bruised as I want. No…..not want, need. Keep your emotions in check for Christ's sake….._

_Approaching drop-point soon, better double check gear….Batarangs? Check. Grapple Gun? Here, but I shouldn't need it; cape more than capable of sustaining flight this high up. Taser…..got it, right next to the pliers. Just in case. Facial Imaging Software fully uploaded to the cowl…..everything set. Good, optimal drop point should be….._

_NOW._

The canopy of the Bat-Wing shot open as the dark figure of Batman spilled out of the cock-pit into the crisp, Metropolis air. The wind slapped his face with icy fingers as he narrowed his body, his aerodynamic figure propelling him towards the bustling conurbation with increasing speed. Through his cowl, he saw the approaching city lights swell in brightness as he tumbled forwards, its glow amalgamating with the dim moonlight to illuminate the dark, cloudless sky. Patches of black interrupted the otherwise immaculate sea of gold, each cancerous blot representing the tens of thousands of citizens that lost their lives during Brainiac's devastating invasion. Each burnt out husk of a tower acting as a monument to the lives ruined in the Kryptonian super-computers quest for knowledge. The same being that Bruce had inadvertently aided when he opened that damned box…

The city's hue morphed into a continuous pale yellow as he passed 3000 feet, the air already feeling heavier with the approach of Metropolis's forest of glass skyscrapers.

Batman's cowl zoomed in on a non-descript, brown structure jutting out of the foggy aether that coated the city streets, its crimson corporate logo basking the area in an ominous hue. He unfolded his limbs to slightly slow his free-fall as his left hand reached back into his utility belt. He could now clearly see the tower unaided, his descent perfectly lined up with a series of massive windows that lined its upper floor. As his built in altimeter hit 2300 feet, he grabbed a hold of the launcher sitting idly by his hand from his belt before trusting his arm forward. A Batarang flew forward at the squeeze of a trigger, its serrated edges cutting through the sky as it embedded itself into the thick, immaculately cleaned glass. He began counting.

_10…..9…..8…..7….._

With both hands he yanked on his cloak, its ebony fabric sprawling behind him. He glided towards the targeted window, his demonic visage almost casting a shadow on the buildings smooth exterior as the moon bathed his target in a luminous glow.

_6…..5….4….3….._

He mentally replayed every conceivably encounter on loop, each play-back involving a new interrogation technique and tool. He was confident that he could get his target to talk in less than a minute, even without excessive violence. Diana had cautioned him against him being overly brutal, convincing him that a bloodless encounter could be just as terrifying as one that left a perp in traction for a month. No small feat, persuading the Batman to change his tactics. It helped that, for a while, the dark places in his mind had ceased to be so suffocating dark, as if her piercing blue eyes were angelic spotlights capable of tearing apart the veil that separated him from the rest of the living, breathing human race. But…he wasn't her…not by a long shot. And it was her life at stake…she would understand if he…

The embedded Batarang exploded as the night air crackled with expulsed energy. Shards of glass poured over the edge of the skyscraper in a transparent shower as small wisps of smoke escaped upwards. He was just 50 feet away now, his descent quickening as he neared the destroyed window. His target was disoriented; the force of the blast no doubt nearly shattered his ear-drums and lodged glass painfully into his back. All Batman could do was glare as his massive form hurled itself into the room, his cape and cowl casting his infamous silhouette onto the floor of the office. The terrified man fell to the ground as the Dark Knight landed; the already bruised body of his target remained cloaked in the impenetrable blackness of Batman's shadow. Regaining his senses enough to point toward the crime fighter with tremor wracked hands, he stood and spoke in the most commanding voice he could muster.

"Y-you…what the hell do…"

Batman's arm thrust forward before he could finish and grabbed the trembling man by his collar. With what should have been inhuman strength, he hurled his target hard into a wall, its material breaking under to force of the assault and sending splinters jutting towards its adjacent window. Within a second, the shadow of Batman was over him again, his gloved hands enclosed around his throat

"**I need answers, Luthor." **came Batman's response. His low voice rumbled with waves of anger, while his pure white eyes pierced the skin of Lex with a frigid blade.

"A-answers for…for what?" He stammered in reply. Batman squeezed tighter on his wind-pipe.

"**LexCorp bribed the government to lead the clean-up of Metropolis after we defeated Brainiac. I **_**know **_**you salvaged parts of him for your own twisted experiments. If you ever want to walk without the use of a cane, I suggest you tell me **_**where **_**you stashed him."**

The pressure on his airways loosened slightly as Luthor stared at Batman's cowl. In all there encounters over the years, he had _never _seen him this emotional. Rage seemed to emanate from every orifice of Batman's being, and the boldness of a direct assault on his tower showed just how desperate he was. If it was any other opponent, Lex could exploit these observations mercilessly to get the upper hand.

But with Batman, all he felt was pure, unadulterated terror.

"I…I…" he choked out unsuccessfully. Batman's grip tightened to deadly levels as Luthor's vision became a blur of red.

"**I have less than 2 minutes before your goons manage to bust in here to rescue you, and if that means having to throw you out a window to get the answers I need then so help me God I'll do it. **_**Where. Is. He!?"**_

Just as Batman's grip slackened, Luthor managed to cough out his response. "He's…he's at a private LexCorp airfield. Outside Metropolis a ways, middle of some backwater county. Everything I could salvage from Brainiac is there, I swear to god!"

Batman continued to glare as he increased pressure on Luthor's throat. The billionaire managed to croak out from underneath his grasp. "I'll give you a map, whatever you need! Just let me go, please!"

With that, Batman released Luthor. He collapsed to the floor with a sharp, wheezing sound as he grasped for air. Batman loomed over him like a Grim Reaper as Lex attempted to pull himself together.

"**If you're so much as off by a street name, I'll liquefy every bone in your body."**

Still gasping loudly, Lex waved his arm in the direction of his desk. He spoke in a hoarse whisper as he continued to struggle for breath.

"Lower drawer…there's…there's an external hard drive. Lists all the locations of any property I own. I…it's in Elsewoods County, I swear on my life, what's left of Brainiac is in Elsewoods County."

Without so much as a cursory glance, Batman strode towards the desk, its top coated in a fine layer of ebony dust from the explosion. His right gauntlet cackled with blue energy as he slammed it into the drawer, the combination of electricity and force allowing his fist to plow through the protective covering. Using his other hand, he ripped open the drawer with a powerful yank. Lex, now leaning himself against the wall that once held him captive for his guest, eyed him with a suspicious glare. A sense of boldness crept into him as Batman plucked the hard drive from the desk.

"This is about the Justice League disappearing, isn't it?"

Batman barely shifted, but his change in expression was enough to alert Luthor that he was on the right track. A small smirk formed on the businessman's face.

"Don't be coy; we all know something's happened to them. The Amazon missed her UN meeting yesterday, and Mirror Master almost destroyed half of Keystone's Museum of Art without even a gentle slap in the face. Hell, I should have seen our Boy in Blue at least 3 times today, and yet there wasn't so much as a rustled newspaper drifting down the streets. Not a single peep. From _any _of them. Care to explain, Batman?"

Batman didn't respond as he shoved the hard drive into his utility belt; however his shoulders dipped slightly as he began another barrage of mental lambasting. Noticing this, Lex painfully snaked himself up the wall with an audible grunt until he was standing again before speaking to the Caped Crusader. A new sense of boldness swept into Luthor as he relished every pained response he elicited from Gotham's intruder.

"Well? Don't leave me in suspense! What was it, some alien plague unleashed by Brainiac? Are they up there in your damned Fortress clinging to life like some decrepit farm animal?" He could see Batman's body tense even further, though the Caped Crusader had yet to even turn back towards Luthor as he rummaged with uncharacteristically clumsy hands through his utility belt. Luthor smiled.

"You're partly to blame for this, aren't you?"

Batman stopped moving for a brief second before finally pulling out a remote from his belt, but it was all Luthor needed to know he had hit a tender nerve. As Batman moved towards the destroyed window, the billionaires smile disappeared. He whispered to the Dark Knight, all sense of terror completely gone from his voice as his words were laced with disgust.

"Whatever it is, whatever happened up there…I hope it eats you alive."

Batman pushed the large, white button in the middle of his remote before turning towards Luthor. The smirk on Lex's face grew as he though he saw Batman's body tremble slightly, what he assumed to be a sign of him finally getting under that pesky Detective's skin. However, his face morphed back into the visage of a terrified child as Batman fully turned to face him. The Dark Knight's face was barely visible behind the shadow that cloaked him; however the whites of his eyes were that of pure rage, his lips curled in a snarl that would have sent the Devil himself running scared. He spoke as though each word was a tsunami near-uncontrollable wrath, each poisonous syllable directed solely at the trembling, bald man standing weakly near a destroyed wall.

"**If you've lied to me in any way, I swear I'll hunt you down and make you **_**regret **_**that the rest of the League isn't there to hold me back. There isn't a bunker or an island in existence where I won't be able to find you and turn your life into the kind of living nightmare where you're scared to so much as take a _piss_. Mark my words, I will make you fear your own goddamn **_**shadow **_**if I have to." **

The low rumble of an overhead jet broke the palpable silence as Batman fired his grappling gun into the air. The sound of its claw connecting with the metal of the Bat-Wing was followed instantaneously by Batman being yanked out of the office, his cape billowing in the wind as his aircraft carried him into the night sky. Luthor just stared at dark, flying figure, his heart rate increasing with every passing second. He was completely oblivious to the mental tirade the Dark Knight was currently subjecting himself to as he soared over the Metropolis skyline.

_So focused on getting them back that I completely forgot about their public appearances…what the hell has gotten into me. Sloppy, completely sloppy. Now the entire Rogues Gallery of every member of the Justice League probably knows something is amiss, and it's all thanks to my damn hubris…you had better set this right Bruce. For the world's sake….._

Back in the tower, a heavily armoured security team lead by Mercy Graves finally managed to obliterate the locked door and pour into the expanse that was Lex's office. Mercy rushed towards her shell-shocked employer who continued to stare aimlessly into the night sky. She cleared her throat in order to divert his attention.

"Sir, are you alright? We heard the explosion, but the security doors had locked us out somehow."

"I'm…I'm fine, Mercy." He responded weakly. His bodyguard looked unconvinced.

"You sure, sir? We heard talking in here and…"

"I'm FINE!" He snapped, the whirlwind of emotions he currently felt suddenly exploded forth from him like pressure being relieved from a water house. Mercy stepped backs slightly before recomposing herself.

"G-glad to hear it sir. We'll set up a perimeter; make sure nothing else gets in here while you assess the damages."

Lex held up his hand, his voice softer after that brief tirade.

"No, not necessary." He paused for a second before running his hand over his bald head. He turned towards Mercy, a spark visible in his eye.

"Something's happened to the League and Batman's on the hunt for a solution. Apparently Brainiac's involved, or at least part of him." He grabbed his lapels and straightened his suit, now in full business mode. "This presents an intriguing opportunity for us Mercy, and I'd prefer if Batman didn't spoil it for us. I want security at the Elsewood's facility _tripled _as soon as possible, tell them to be on high alert and prepped for combat. Batman _cannot _reach our Brainiac debris, under _any _circumstances, am I clear?"

Mercy nodded, fully taking in every order issued to her. Lex continued.

"More importantly, I need to make a call. Batman's dangerous, and he needs to be taken care of, _perminantly._ Something my normal mooks clearly aren't capable of."

Again Mercy nodded before inquiring further. "Whose number do you need, sir?"

Luthor chuckled slightly before stroking his chin. He turned towards Mercy, his face completely solemn and serious.

"Get me Slade, and tell him that there's a multi-million dollar bonus if he brings in the Bat's special belt relatively intact." He straightened his tie before he began to waltz out of his damaged office, Mercy Graves trailing closely behind him. "And please, remind him to prepare for war this time. Whatever's happened up there on their Watchtower, it's got Batman more on edge than usual…"

* * *

**And there you have it folks, the fifth chapter, "Desperate Interrogation"! Hope you guys enjoyed it! I do apologize for it being slightly shorter than the last one, but again, for pacing reasons, I thought it would be best to end it here. **

**Besides, its my goal to end every chapter with a cliffhanger to fully mimic the look and feel of a comic book anyways, so...**


	7. Chapter 6: Aditus Rebellium

**Here it is, Chapter 6 (technically 7 but...meh, numbers), a little early this time to make up for the delay in the last two updates. Thanks again you guys for the reviews and everything; as I said, I greatly appreciate any feedback you send me!**

**I will say that, in terms of the violence in this story, I do intend to keep it as "T" rated as possible (well really teetering on the precipice of "T" and "M" anyways). I do use it as a way of exploring character motivation and personality, and more importantly I like to write descriptively, so it might dip into some...more obscene descriptions depending on the action, but if Scott Snyder can get away with his descriptive violence being rated "T", then maybe I can squeak by too huh? I don't usually put any warnings for my stories, however if you guys feel like I should, just in case, then I'm more than willing to add one. Just let me know in the comment section!**

**For this chapter in particular, it _will _get a little descriptive, so if that's not your thing, just a heads up. **

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoy!**

**Oh, and DC still owns most of this stuff, so that hasn't changed as of late...**

* * *

_**Chapter Six: Aditus Rebellium**_

_**Gotham City: Earth-1793**_

"Are they still following us?" inquired Hawkgirl, her neck craned backwards in an attempt to survey the area the Justice League was fleeing.

"I can see them." replied Superman, his x-ray vision piercing the burnt out husks of the mutilated Gotham skyline. A small scowl crossed his face. "They're moving forward, but they haven't replenished any of their troops."

"That means they're waiting for us at City Hall, probably with heavy artillery too." stated Wonder Woman neutrally.

"Good." Superman straightened his gaze, his face congealed in a look of pure determination. "So long as the civilians are out of the crossfire, we'll take whatever they can throw at us."

Flash weaved in and out of the debris strewn across the road as his pace quickened. The red blur that was his image launched itself off a near-by slab on concrete into the air, his form returning to the visible spectrum as he landed on one of the near-by roof tops. Slowing to the pace of the rest of the Justice League, he turned to Superman with a look mixed of contemplation and confusion.

"I'll be honest, they didn't seem very grateful for the rescue…not that gratitude is important or anything." he recovered quickly as the Man of Steel shot him an admonishing glare. "It's just that you'd think they would be a little happier to be saved from the chopping block. If anything they seemed pretty complacent…at least the one's that didn't have a gun pointed to their heads yet."

The League continued to soar through the ruined infrastructure of Gotham as Green Lantern spoke, his altitude reduced slightly to bring him closer to the roof-hopping scarlet speedster.

"They were probably just shell-shocked; a live execution of dissidents will do that to you. Whatever the hell happened here, these people are probably all kinds of traumatized. Makes me sick thinking about it really…"

The group followed Superman as he tightly rounded a corner onto what was Gotham's entertainment district. The dull and pathetic flicker of broken bulbs reflected off the League members like waning ghosts as they passed, each decrepit billboard presenting a distressing personification of the shattered soul of the city to them. The group lowered themselves to the cracked streets as Flash vaulted from the roof tops, making contact with the razed asphalt. J'onn spoke up, his face and tone bereft of emotion.

"The thoughts of those soldiers are of greater concern to me."

"Or lack there of," Diana added, "you said they were almost unconscious?"

The Martian shook his head in confirmation. "With the exception of basic motor functions and spatial awareness, their minds were almost completely empty. I don't know if it is due to some sort of mental shield or if they have been surgically altered, but we were essentially fighting mindless drones."

Wonder Woman's form moving closer to the Martian as the League continued to fly down the disfigured avenue. "Except the ones with berets. They seemed crazy…but otherwise completely aware of their surroundings."

"They must act as Batman's field officers then." theorized Hawkgirl. Both Diana and Clark winced at the mention of the Dark Knight, the troubling thoughts of an evil Bruce flooding back into the forefront of their minds.

The League continued to fly low as they entered what once was the Financial District. The spires that had previously clawed at the sky like silicon mountains instead timidly rose as broken shells of their former prestige in the suffocating, clammy air around them. Like a forest after a devastating inferno, the cracked steel and broken glass seemed to reverberate death off their very being, creating a crushing atmosphere that even the most powerful of the League were powerless to ignore. Flash grunted as he vaulted over a piece of concrete jutting out of the ground, his voice hushed like an internal thought.

"Batman using crazies to lead his army? Doesn't make sense, the guy's supposed to be order incarnate…"

Wonder Woman drifted back towards the Man of Steel as they rounded another corner, the husks of Downtown decreasing in size as they neared their destination. Her soft voice was betrayed by her pained eyes as she spoke.

"Are you alright Kal? You looked almost comatose back there."

Superman glanced to his right briefly before turning towards Wonder Woman, his face slightly softer than before.

"I'm fine, just…a little shaken up," he said, his eyes still on Diana, "I just thought I was done with dictators rounding up detractors with a firing squad." He wanted to add that the growing evidence that all this was perpetrated by his best friend, and in such an overwhelmingly brutal way, left him completely nauseated, however Diana's own look of hurt held his tongue. He softened his voice further as he spoke back to her.

"How about you, Diana? It's not every day that you lose your cool like that. Especially towards a teammate."

It was true, she thought to herself. Wonder Woman was always the emotional rock of the team; being equal parts affectionate as she was stoic. An outburst was beyond uncharacteristic for her and deep down she felt ashamed that he had shown such raw emotion, like it was some unsightly lesion ripping through her skin.

But with Bruce…no matter how hard she tried, he somehow managed to weave through her centuries of Amazonian training and coax out every emotion she tried to repress. Frustration, joy, anger, anything that she felt would harm others and her ability to function as a leader of the Justice League, the very touch, the very _sound _of Bruce would melt away all her defenses and leave the real Diana naked and vulnerable. Normally, in her moment of weakness he would immediately reach out to her, his own barricades of darkness stripped away, and for however fleeting a moment they would step out into the light, exposed, with nothing more than each other for protection. The feeling was terrifying, but with him it was the most human experience she could ever feel. But here, on this desolate and ravaged planet, where the very personification of her comfort seemed to plot the demise of all that stood opposed to him, all she felt was exposed. Helpless.

_Scared. _

Not because Batman wasn't there to protect her; Athena knows she was among the toughest warriors the universe had ever birthed. But despite all the blood and gore that she had witnessed here, at _his _hands it seemed, all she could think to do was drop everything, speed towards that demonic tower, get on her knees and weep, pled with him to know _why_. Why all this bloodshed, why all this destruction? What caused the man she loved to turn into a bloodthirsty tyrant? Instead of steadfast determination in the face of evil, all she wanted to do was feel _sympathy_, to have him tell her there was, as always, a reason behind his actions, no matter how grotesque they may be. Her emotions threatened to override every sense of truth and justice that had been instilled in her from birth, and for once in her life, she was burdened with self-doubt, with the nagging question of whether or not she would be capable of functioning not only as a warrior, but more importantly, as a hero. As Wonder Woman.

And that thought terrified her more than any monster of god she had ever faced.

But she refused to allow her inner turmoil to saddle her with debilitating, emotional baggage, and pushing those horrid thoughts from her mind, she turned defiantly towards Superman, and responded with as much conviction as she could muster.

"I'm fine. I just want to get to city hall so we can get back to protecting these people."

Clark smiled as he heard her words, his own confidence bolstered.

"I hear you." He replied. His nose crinkled slightly in visible disgust. "If I remember my way around this town, we should be just about there, which is music to my ears considering that awful stench that's been following us for…"

All colour immediately evaporated from his face as he straightened his vision, his enhanced sight peering through the obstructing structures in front of the League. Diana's own visage grew increasingly concerned as John flew beside them, his own nose contorted to the now clearly palpable smell.

"What is it, what do you…JUDAS PREIST!"

The Green Lantern swore as the League entered the clearing leading to Gotham City Hall. Strewn across the brown, dead lawn were thousands of corpses, their mangled and brutalized bodies tossed haphazardly throughout the complex. Dark blood caked onto ground in dried up rivers of crimson, while the faded white of the marble structure that once housed the politics of Gotham cried hemoglobin filled tears from its now expired occupants. The decayed victims of massacres past crowded around the nearly demolished building, while fresher carcasses lined the exterior like a wall of flesh, their terror stricken eyes frozen in eternal torment as a vigil warning to the rest of the still living world. It was a mass grave, except the perpetrators didn't even have the decency to bury the dead, their bodies desecrated and dumped like so much trash.

Flash's knees buckled as he heaved onto the pavement, while the ever stoic Martian Manhunter clenched his eyes and his fists tightly in an effort to block out the traumatic image in front of them. The ghost white Man of Steel meekly managed to look towards the still standing flag pole, where he could make out the image of a crimson, mutilated object blowing sickeningly in the breeze. A torn and stained trench coat was wrapped unceremoniously around the base, a pair of revolvers positioned like a cross over its chest.

He lurched forward, an overpowering sense of nausea wracking his already trembling frame. Wonder Woman attempted to reach for him, but found herself rooted to the ground in her own bubble of horror. Hawkgirl, who until now had remained silent, charged her mace up with a surge of sapphire energy, its cackling noise shattering the heart-wrenching silence.

"_Someone_ has to pay for this…"

Green Lantern didn't object, the bright aura of green emanating from his power ring illuminating his rage-infused features. Flash feebly attempted to stand, his gaze barely directed towards them.

"We need to get out of here…can't…can't look…"

Diana attempted to compose herself as she spoke, her hand gently supporting the still vomiting Wally.

"We can't…we can't just abandon all those civilians. We need to keep drawing fire off them until we can move them out of the city and find…something."

Shayera stepped closer to her, rage still blazing off her like an emotion fueled torch.

"_Something? _What do you expect to find Princess? Help? Because God knows how long that's been extinct here!"

Diana shot her a piercing glare. "Well we can't just bludgeon our way through everything either! In case you haven't noticed, they have a _bit _of a numerical advantage!"

Hawkgirl brushed off the sneering sarcasm as he retorted, her face now directly in front of Diana's. "It's a hell of a lot better than playing cat and mouse with the _Einsatzgruppen_!"

Wonder Woman's anger boiled over again as she nearly shoved the woman in front of her. "_Not _if it endangers any civilians!"

Before Shayera could respond, a dejected J'onn raised his hand between them, his calm demeanor offset by the growing rage present in his Martian eyes.

"If we're done fighting amongst ourselves, I can sense them approaching. We should start to prepare for…"

"INCOMING!" screamed Green Lantern as he erected a green shield around the group. A powerful explosive ricocheted off their protection as it careened into the lawn, its resulting explosion eradicating several corpses. The group turned towards the projectiles origin as they saw a mob of grey plated soldiers pour into the clearing, their weapons already firing upon them in an endless shower of lead and brass. A series of aircraft dove from the clouds on top of the group, their chain guns embedding high velocity bullets into the ground around them.

Without so much as an order, the group leapt into action as John mentally projected a defensive barrier armed with non-lethal canons before charging into a pack of soldiers, his ring blasting a stream of green energy towards them. Both Hawgirl and Wonder Woman rocketed into the sky, their forms tearing through several aircraft before leveling out. Superman shot towards an approaching column, flying low so that his speeding form could take out the group's legs from under them. His eyes shone a bright red as his laser vision melted the support beams of an already listing tower. The soldiers ran for cover as the structure collapsed, its debris choking off one of the entrance points for their attackers.

J'onn placed a concerned hand on Wally as the speedster rose on shaking legs. A silent nod from the youngest League member signaled that he was alright as he took off in the direction of a large group of soldiers, his fists flailing at super-sonic speeds into the bodies of the approaching enemies. The Martian Manhunter in return morphed into a fearsome Martian beast, his tendrils ensnaring several shock troopers before his enormous wing-span took to the sky.

Another low pass from Superman cut down several columns of soldiers as he rose above the battlefield. As he effortlessly downed a fighter craft, he began scanning the area, a look of defeat creeping onto his visage.

Stretching far into the horizon was a constant sea of grey and black, each patch of bobbing, armoured soldiers broken up by massive ebony vehicles. The sky was filled with buzzing aircraft, their silhouettes painted across the sky like cancerous dots. They had them completely surrounded on all sides, an endless drove of murderous intent.

_There's no end to them, _he thought to himself, _rows upon rows of mindless soldiers, just marching towards us, no qualms, no questions. It's like the entire population of Gotham turned into a violent lynch mob…and somehow I can tell they're holding back..._

Diana intercepted a barrage of bullets with her bracelets as she materialized in front of the Man of Steel. Catching his shocked gaze, she quickly turned towards him and grabbed onto his shoulders in a desperate attempt to snap him back to reality.

"KAL, we need you focused!"

Immediately his face returned to the determined leader of Superman. He spoke with authority as he turned towards Diana.

"All exits are completely bottlenecked with these soldiers ; they've boxed us in. You and I can make it through a gauntlet like this, but Flash can't pile drive through an endless stream of bad-guys without at least one of them getting lucky. Shayera and John too; they aren't invulnerable, and these guys have enough men and firepower to take down NATO."

His laser vision cut apart a squadron of aircraft as Diana's lasso corralled another, its empty shell colliding with its wingman as she pivoted. Her glance turned towards the ground as the remaining League members desperately dodged incoming barrages while sneaking in well-timed hits of their own. She could tell that Hawkgirl was operating almost completely on emotion alone, and winced as a lucky shot grazed her exposed forearm. Noticing this, Superman scorched a wide swath of land around the growing influx of grey shock troopers in an attempt to divert their attention towards the sky.

"What do we do then? I don't think surrender is an option."

The duo dove towards the ground, in the process destroying another flight of fighters from their shockwaves. They hit the ground with incredible force as the earth buckled under them, the vibrations sending countless soldiers hurtling into the air. Diana landed a series of vicious jabs into the helmets of a charging platoon while Clark's super-breath demolished an opposing column. He turned back towards Diana as she bowled over several shock troopers with a powerful spring kick.

"We could try drilling underground, it's the only place not under heavy fire, "he shouted as the shower of bullets aimed at him harmlessly divert course into the ground around him, "but the Gotham sewers are complete labyrinths. And knowing Batman, they're probably booby-trapped." Superman muttered an uncharacteristic curse under his breath as he launched a charging officer head first into one of his comrades. "We could sure use that bastard right now…"

Diana ducked as one of Green Lantern's rocket emplacements demolished an overhead aircraft, its debris raining down around her. Her arm caught an enemy soldier as she turned to look at Superman.

"We'll think of something, we just need to…" out of the corner of her eye she noticed Wally shoot into the air, floundering from a stray rocket that impacted close to where he was running. "WALLY!" she screamed as she dashed towards the fallen speedster, a midair kick redirecting an incoming missile as she landed hard on the abdomen of a near-by soldier. She picked the bruised Flash up gently with one arm before addressing his wounds.

"Are you alright?"

"F-fine…just banged up." he tentatively replied, favoring his left arm. "But it's getting _way _to hot here, I'm not sure I can…"

A rocket streaked across the sky before impacting directly in the middle of a platoon of shock troopers, the explosion tearing apart their flesh and sending their flaming remains jutting off into different directions. Another explosion from a nearby corner of the enclosure blew apart another advancing column; instead a series of variably clad individuals poured through the shock troopers remains. Glancing at this spectacle, Wonder Woman almost didn't notice a hand being thrust towards her.

"Ya need a hand with him?" a rough voice asked through a bright red helmet, the white slits of its eyes starring directly at her.

"I…I…" she stuttered, words completely escaping her at the moment. The trench coat wearing ally spun around and unholstered two handguns from his belt, a rapid succession of shots ripping into a group of surrounding shock troopers. Glancing back over his shoulder, he pointed towards the recently opened hole where the new combatants where holding their ground.

"We just created an' opening for ya, so let's not waste it, shall we?"

Nodding slightly, she hoisted Flash up on her back before calling towards Superman. The Man of Steel, however, had already noticed, and was currently dragging a swearing Hawkgirl back towards them with Green Lantern hot on his heels. His eyes widened as he approached the mysterious figure.

"C'mon flyboy, let's get out of here before he sicks the entire continent on us!" he demanded, already in full sprint towards the new exit. He called back over his shoulder.

"And control your hawk; that wound looks nasty enough as it is."

Ignoring the string of curse words directed to their new acquaintance, the group hurried behind him. J'onn materialized next to Diana as they neared the newly engaged group, their numbers holding strong despite the clear numerical disadvantage.

"Is that…" Diana attempted to inquire when she noticed J'onn next to her.

"I do not know," he interrupted looking directly at the crimson helmeted figure ahead of them, "but whoever he is, it appears as though he's here to help."

The rapid fire expulsion of high velocity rounds grew increasingly louder as the League approached their exit. A man with a distinctive monocle stood defiantly upon a charred piece of rubble as he unloaded his twin arm canons into the advancing columns of shock troopers, seemingly hitting every shot he fired. He called back disinterestedly as the first man rushed the League behind him, several of the allied fighters filing suit.

"The Boss is going to kill us for this, you know?"

The Red Helmeted man rushed the League into an adjacent building as he responded to his friend, a smirk clearly present behind the impenetrable mask.

"Fuck the boss, the blue guy just took out a squadron of Hunter-Killers with his _eyes_!"

The goateed man fired off a few more rounds before leaping backwards, athletically landing next to the League and their guide.

"What, did no one tell you his name or something? Or did all the blows to your head make you forget?"

"Doesn't matter," he turned towards the stunned Justice League, "end of the hallway there's an open hole leading into the sewer. Head down there and wait for us; we've gotta leave a parting gift before we vanish."

Superman forcefully turned towards the hall with Hawkgirl as the rest of the League dashed forward towards their escape route. Both of their mystery rescuers reached into a large pouch connected to their belts and pulled out identical devices; large black boxes with a flashing red timer attached to its exterior. As soon as the last surviving friendly fighter reached the abandoned building, they chucked their cumbersome devices into the debris in front of them before quickly sprinting towards the hallway the Justice League had just disappeared behind.

Grey-clad shock troopers swarmed the area where they once stood, the tell-tale metallic _clink _of a manhole cover fully sliding into place echoing throughout the empty complex in front of them. Training their weapons on the building, the soldiers took another step forward…

…before they were completely engulfed in a blinding flash of yellow, the heat emanating from this massive explosion liquefying them instantaneously. The entire section of the enclosure was consumed in flames as debris and body parts rained from the sky in a sickly mix of crimson and grey.

A battered office stood in anguish, a gushing red hole forming in his shoulder from a high velocity round. He stared blankly at the catastrophe in front of him as another mass of shock troopers formed around him. His face contorted in a mix of agony and anger as he reached for his earpiece with an audible grunt, his fingers finding purchase on its activation button.

"Tango Seven to Command…might wanna tell _his highness _that…uhh…"

"**That they got away?" **interrupted a boom voice. The officer immediately turned an inhuman shade of white as the gravel undertone echoed throughout his head. His knees began to violently shake as it continued.

"**That you failed, **_**miserably**_**, and let these super-powered Neanderthals escape?"**

"I…I…" the officer stuttered, unable to find purchase on any words through the terror that wracked his very essence.

"**Don't worry Commander, you preformed your task just as I expected. This particular matter requires a far more **_**deft **_**touch than what you're capable of."**

A reserved sense of relief washed over the Commander. He wiped away a several beads of sweat from his forehead as Batman continued.

"**As of this very moment, Commander, your services and involvement in The Mission…are no longer required."**

The feed cut off suddenly, leaving the emotionally distraught officer to silently ponder what he meant. A high-pitched shrill pierced the veil of his brief thoughts, however, as his gaze was invariably shifted towards the blood-red sky above him. A conspicuous trail, leading from the heart of the Downtown ruins, was following a small, nondescript object streaking across the sky.

The Commander had no time to contemplate its origins as a kinetic missile slammed into the City Hall Plaza, the force of the blast instantaneously obliterating anything within its blast radius.

…

…

…

The tremor from that second shockwave rattled the heavy steel piping that ran deep under the decaying streets of Gotham, though no one besides the Justice League seemed to notice. The group was encircled by a variety of heavily armed men and women, each one following the two masked individuals in front as the lead them through the winding, dank, brick-layered sewer. Wonder Woman held off a shudder at the claustrophobic architecture as she deftly finished bandaging Flash's arm. She glanced towards Superman as he pushed his way towards the front of the pack, past a still steaming Hawkgirl who at the moment was brushing off a comforting hand from Green Lantern. The Man of Steel reached the two leading men, standing between them as he awkwardly gapped, unable to construct a solid sentence through the haze in his head. The man with the red helmet broke the awkward silence.

"Can I help you, flyboy?"

Superman stuttered slightly, attempting to formulate the millions of questions pouring through his mind at the moment. Meekly, he managed to stammer out a brief question.

"Y-you're…uhm…"

"Folks back there call me Red Hood. Got them name from my dome, as you can clearly see."

Superman attempted to keep pace as his mind helplessly flailed in the dense fog that clouded his inner thoughts. "Jason…is that…is it really you?"

Red Hood quirked his head slightly and turned towards the Kryptonian, confusion lacing his voice as he spoke.

"You've got me confused with some other gun-toting freedom fighter Steel-Man."

"That's because they're not from around here numb-nuts." interjected the second man as the parade of individuals detoured through an enclosed passage. Superman turned his gaze towards the new voice.

"And you're…"

"Floyd Lawton, at your service." he mocked bowed in Superman's direction, the cramped space limiting his gesture. "Hood and I have been tracking you guys since you interrupted Extermination Day back there."

John stepped forward, a look of surprise registering on his face.

"'Extermination Day'? You make it sound like it's a regular event?"

Red Hood shook his head and glanced back at the rest of the group.

"That's the sad joke; it _is_."

"That doesn't make sense." questioned John, his pace quickening in order to squeeze by the bottlenecking ensamble. They exited the dark, cramped side tunnel and poured into a large atrium, a neon light basking the area in a pale green. "Why would they regularly execute dissidents in front of everyone like that? Batman has to know that it's only going to bread a hell of a lot of discontent."

The fighters around them tensed up as the name "Batman" was mentioned, like it was a deadly curse that threatened to take another one of them the moment it was utter. Based off what they had seen, Diana mused to herself, that might not be far from the truth.

For their part, both Floyd and Red Hood kept their composure. The monocle man's response, however, was vividly laced with a mixture of apprehension and disgust.

"They aren't 'dissidents', not even close. The population might think that's what's happening, that it's just a case of some outspoken liberal and his big mouth getting a section into trouble, but the sad truth is that _he's _just culling the population. _Randomly, _for no _goddamn_…"he struggled to keep his composure before he finished, his fists shaking in visible rage. "…for no reason. If he thinks it's time for your community to be massacred, then that's it, it's over for you. You're dead a week before it happens."

Red Hood cleared his throat as the League's attention diverted to him.

"Public plays their part well too, thinking that all that ratting and brownnosing will get them into the man's good book. Heh, _good _is a concept that couldn't even make it through the front door of his _palace_."

The group spread out slightly as they entered a dimply lit tunnel, the rough floor beneath them signalling the presence of an ancient and neglected railway. Diana spoke up, remembering Superman's comment about the endless hoards of troopers pouring towards them.

"Do these people…try to join him? As these soldiers, I mean."

Red Hood's laugh echoed throughout the tunnel, startling the League and several near-by fighters as well. He turned back towards Wonder Woman.

"They try alright. You wouldn't believe the amount of people that congregate outside that tower of his. But those idiots aren't ever heard from again, so clearly he's not in the mood for applications."

Diana noticed Superman's face visibly sink as that last bit of information surfaced. She turned her attention back to the masked freedom fighter as he continued.

"No, the way it works is the sick bastard orders the execution of every first born child, and then caps the parents right next to their kid, right while the who fucking neighborhood watches the same thing happen over and over again to them. If you're _lucky _enough to have more than one kid, the youngest gets taken in by the regime while the parent that tries to claw the eyes out of the nearest trooper gets hauled into Gotham Presbyterian, and gets every non-vital lobe of their brain seared off as a 'thank you'." He paused as the League looked on, each one visibly ill. The tunnel continued to stretch on into the void as he continued. "Those guys with the berets, the crazy ones? That's the product of some good ol re-education at the hands of each cities administrator. They're almost less human than the faceless mooks you throw around like discarded gum."

A barely recovered Superman raised his head, a dim, approaching light reflecting off his still pale skin.

"You said… "cities"…how many places are like this?"

Floyd was the one who responded, his tone reserved and solemn.

"Anywhere that isn't central Europe. A bunch of EU countries tried to launch a counter attack after Batman killed the President…its nothing more than a radioactive crater at this point."

Red Hood chuckled slightly. "Yeah…you thought _Gotham _looked bad…"

The growing light reached a crescendo as the marching group reach a heavy iron door, its handle and hinges rusted and cracked. They stared at it for a brief second, the members of the Justice League waiting with vivid speculation as Floyd moved towards the door. Flash shifted forwards slightly, his arm still bandaged.

"Where exactly are we?" he inquired, his vitality having returned somewhat.

"_The last refuge of the Gotham City Resistance." _a booming voice echoed throughout the tunnel in response to Flash's question. A figure slowly emerged from the localized shadows near the opposite wall, the dim light reflecting off his long, ebony hair. A pronounced scar ran down the length of his face, from just above his left eye down towards the corner of his mouth. The League gaped in shock as both Diana and Clark stepped forward. Wonder Woman's hand rose to her mouth.

"Great Hera…" she murmured, her eyes fixated in sadness at the shadowy figure. Clark's expression was similarly astounded.

"Nightwing…Dick…is that really you?"

* * *

**And there you have it, "Enter the Rebels" is complete and in the books. As is the first official encounter between alternate universe Dick Grayson and the silly doo-gooders from the DCAU-ish universe! I'm sure everything will be sunshine and rainbows from here on out? Right?**

**Right?**

**Yeah, I thought so too...**


	8. Interlude: Deathstroke

**A brief break from our regular adventures to bring you...**

* * *

**_Interlude: Deathstroke_**

_**Somewhere in the middle of New Mexico: Earth-861**_

The acrid and unforgiving heat of the New Mexico desert stretched as far as Emanuel Huerez could see. His exhausted eyes strained in the glaring crimson sun as dust swept over his perch, each grain of sand colliding with his rough skin like a slap of a thousand tiny hands. He kicked at the bedrock with his dull grey combat boot, silently cursing himself for volunteering for what he had originally viewed as a menial task.

_Don't know why the States even bothers keeping this rock._ He mused to himself. _Place is as welcoming as a brothel run by Wolverine…_

His internal monologue continued to render him oblivious as a slight shimmer cut through the hazy atmosphere. A steel serrated blade pierced his neck in one deft motion, his own blood quickly flooding into his lungs and choking off any ability to scream for help. A gloved hand covered his mouth as a precaution, roughly at that, in a yanking motion that even in the dopamine filled depths of his mind he registered as a sickeningly vicious tug. As his head fell backwards and the darkness enclosed around him, he vaguely noted the set of pouches and bandoliers adorning a humanoid shapes torso. The dying light reflected off an orange and black colour scheme running the length of his body.

_Deathstroke_…..his final, terrified thought rattled off in his dying mind. Silently, he slipped into oblivion, unaware of the smirk that crossed his killers face.

The figure reached towards his ear and pressed his pointer and index finger into the small device nestled there. He spoke in a low rumble, his tone laced with battlefield adrenaline.

"Slade to Waller, you have my position?"

"Affirmative Wilson. I assume the approach is clear?" cracked his communicator in response.

"Not quite; there are a lot of ugly corpses I have to stare at still."

"Hilarious Slade." the disembodied voice deadpanned as the assassin surveyed his surroundings with an ever vigilant eye. "You ready to proceed, or would you prefer to play with yourself for a few more minutes?"

Deathstroke smirked slightly despite himself, running a dusty glove over the smooth material of his mask. "15 missions together and counting Waller; you know I'll move whenever I damn well please." He paused and bent down towards the recently deceased Latino, his knife hovering tantalizingly over one of his soulless eyes. "Can't a man enjoy the fruits of his labour?"

"Not when the most dangerous son-of-a-bitch in Latin America is in the same area code as you Slade. I can't even begin to list the number of reasons why the government wants this guy dead."

Deathstroke swiftly vaulted off the rock plateau and silently crept towards a small opening in the side of the adjacent mountain. His light footfalls barely kicked up any dirt as he inserted his combat knife into its special pouch, the setting sun in the east illuminated the already sanguine tinged walls of rock in a luminous red. He peered into his entrance, the compound tucked away underneath.

"Don't bother listing them off for me; I've got all the motivation I need. Assuming you still plan on extending my long list of pardons that is."

"Before you go turning those tunnels into hell on alien-earth," Waller interrupted, forcing the assassin to jimmy backwards out of the enclosure, "I'm patching you through to the fire-team leader of a DEO detachment in the area." He paused. The feeling of utter disgust Deathstroke was shooting her was almost palpable even from her bunker under Washington.

"Sergeant Kobern reporting sir. Despite you…profession, it's an honor to be working alongside you."

Slade scowled. "You know what I did to my last babysitter Waller."

Stepping in quickly to defuse the situation, the assassin's handler quickly interjected forcefully.

"He and the rest of the strike force are for back-up and extraction only Wilson. No direct contact is to be established. Under the threat of _harsh_ penalties." she finished with a jarring sneer directed at the over exuberant Extranormal Operations soldier.

Unfazed, in fact even a little…whimsical, the marine Sergeant responded.

"Don't worry sir, we'll keep our distance. Last thing we want to do is mess up your mojo or something."

_Mojo? _the assassin thought to himself. Still agitated, Deathstroke wormed his way through the opening in the rock, his radio hissing slightly at the interference.

"It's for your own safety soldier. I'm not the biggest fan of our government at present…"

…

…

…

A nearly silent thud echoed slightly through the dark walls as Deathstroke yanked his katana out of the spinal cord of a now dead guard, his corpse gently guided to the ground by his gauntlet. His highly tuned hearing picked up the scuffle of combat boots closing the distance towards him. Slowly, unaware of the corpse and the government sanctioned assassin looming over it. Slade launched himself into the shadows above, his leg muscles burning as his feet connected with the walls on either side. He stood there, suspended in the darkness, as the blissfully unware guard rounded the corner.

Just as the Latino's eyes lit up in terror at the sight of a dead comrade, Slade dove forward, the tip of his blade leading his charging mass. Not a single sound exited his petrified features as the blade pierced his skull, the pointed edge digging deep into his brain. Deathstroke let the body slide unceremoniously off the end of his sword and land heavily on the floor, the kicked up dust mixing with the coloured blood of the newly minted corpse.

Slade stared unmoving for the briefest of seconds, his mind formulating the quickest route to what CIA Intel theorized to be the lower most section of the complex, when the deafening rattle of automatic gunfire seized his attention. Ducking into a secluded corner, his comm-link buzzed angrily into his ear.

"I'm hearing gunfire down there, Wilson. What the hell is going on?"

Deathstroke craned his neck around the nearest corner as another volley of shots echoed through the complex. His brow furrowed as he held his fingers to his ear.

"It's coming from up ahead, but Waller…when I think 'guerilla', I think 'Kalashnikov'."

The voice on the other end of the connection paused, confusion eminent in his response.

"What do you mean?"

"I've had enough 'AK's' fired at me in my time to tell you that wasn't one."

Crouching slightly, he wormed his way down the dimly-lit hall, jutting in and out of the shadows that lined the walls. He halted as an all-too human scream pierced the temporary veil of silence. Any other soldier would have felt their blood turn to ice at such a scream. Slade, however, felt nothing but annoyance.

"Waller, care to explain how the strike team went from staying out of my way to getting itself captured in less than two minutes?"

The responding voice was that of Sergeant Korbern.

"It's not us sir; we haven't moved since our chopper landed."

The Terminator stroked his stubble in contemplation, his grizzled voice murmuring mere seconds later.

"Like I needed another reason to gut these bastards. They've got hostages down here, at least one. Might be a civilian."

"Do you need assistance?" inquired the DEO Sergeant.

"I plan on expending every bullet I have on me, and you don't want to be around when I do that…"

"Understood," came his response, his voice again an octave slightly higher, "we'll hold back and wait for further orders."

"Do what you have to do Slade." added Waller. "But the target is still priority one. A single civilian doesn't matter much compared to a terrorist incursion."

The screaming had stopped, the cavern reverting to an eerie silence. The assassin stood unmoving in the darkness.

_Not a good sign for the civie_. He thought to himself apathetically.

Slade's built in night-vision goggles illuminated the dark passage way in a neon green, the shadows retreating under his advanced gear. Tapping a small protruding button on the side of lens, his entire field of vision lit up in a bright flash of white. The ghostly silhouettes of several enemies filled his surroundings, each bulky soldier's form redirecting the sonar burst back towards its origin. All except a well-insulated room less than a floor down from him, directly in the path of approximately seven terrorist guards.

Eight, if you counted the lone wanderer just around the corner from him.

Flicking his goggles off as his vision returned to normal, he brandished his knife in his right hand, keeping his left trained out in front of him. His muscles tensed as he rounded the corner quietly, the whistling emanating from the guards mouth blocking out the light pitfalls of Slade's combat boots. Just as he pulled up behind the ignorant guard, he snaked out his left arm around the guard's neck, the rubbery material rubbing against his sweating skin. The sleek knife flashed before the now petrified guard's eyes before it settle on his Adam's Apple, the blade digging in ever so slightly. He spoke into the man's ear, his voice a low and calm.

"Hello."

"O-oh…shit…what…what do you want?" stammered his captive.

"Information. Specifically what you clowns are keeping in that locked up little box of yours."

"I-I…please don't kill me!" he pleaded, his rapid heart rate reverberating throughout his entire body.

"Here's the deal." Slade replied as he squeezed the terrorist's throat harder with his left arm, the knife inching every closer to his vital veins. "For every useful tid-bit of information you give me, you get to keep a litre of blood. Sound fair?"

The shaking man hesitated, resulting in a further increase to the pressure around his neck.

"D-deal…I'll tell you what I know!"

"That's a good little soldier." smirked Deathstroke. "But do keep your voice down. I'd hate to use your vocal chords as a garrotte wire."

His captive gulped at the additional threat before continuing, his mouth getting drier by the second.

"We…we got this delivery a while back, addressed to our boss. He said…he said it was a gift from a friend. Someone with a lot of power."

"And that gift was a human sacrifice?" Slade hissed. "Do you want me to paint your epitaph on the wall with your own blood?"

The terrorist's eyes grew wider.

"No…NO! That's not…we only got weapons, a few prototypes. Just to test them out. They…they looked high tech...way beyond anything we could have gotten our hands on. We just…"

"Wanted to test them on a couple prisoners." Deathstroke finished for him, the former calmness of his voice giving way to a steady growl. He tightened the pressure on the soldier's neck further, causing his answer to be coughed out in pain.

"It was the Russian's idea! I swear on my family!"

"Russian…" Slade seethed. "Waller, you getting any of this?"

"All of it." came a hurried response from his ear piece. "If there's a Russian involved…"

"Then I finally get to see what an overloaded weapon does to the inside of Abramovici's colon." Slade deadpanned. He directed his questions back to the terrorist in front of him.

"Is this Russian here with your boss? Torturing my guys?"

"Y-yes, yeah he's in there right now. But even if you get to him…"

"It doesn't take much to stick a head on a pike, I suggest you remember that."

"Does…does that mean you're letting me go?" pleaded the terrorist in a stammering appeal to the legendary assassin's humanity.

"Depends." Slade paused, filling the air with tense anticipation. "What's the secret password?"

His captive's mouth hung agape. "Password…what secret pass…"

His question was cut short as Slade violently wretched his head to the left, severing his spinal cord instantly. The dead body flopped aimlessly to the cracked ground in a heap.

"Don't know, I haven't decided yet…"

"Don't do anything rash Deathstroke," the radio cracked, his handler's tone perfectly neutral despite the cold-blooded execution he had just been privy too, "but if you can, take that Russian down clean. It's more than likely just a rogue agent operating without the Kremlin's direct imput; say what you want about Putin, but he's smart enough to know that getting down and dirty with us is a death sentence. But Wilson, any rogue agent messing in America affairs is a dead rogue agent. Do I make myself clear?"

"And I thought I was the heartless killer." mused Slade, his tone refined in order to directly worm under the uptight Waller's skin. "You haven't even told me what these 'terrorists' objectives are; I might actually agree with them. It's not like we haven't been killing their families for the past few generations."

Unholstering his pistol and twirling his knife in his left hand, he bounded down the hall towards the posted sentries, any pretence of stealth completely expunged from his mind. The Terminator darted around a corner, now coming face to face with the remaining guards in the facility. Before the nearest one could register the intruders's presence, the cool steel of his knife embedded itself in the back of his skull, his synapsis ceasing almost immediately.

Slade acrobatically vaulted over the falling corpse and planted his feet firmly into the chest of the now completely stunned guard that was a mere moment ago chatting with his comrade. A vicious elbow smashed into his jaw, long enough to stun the combatant and leave him open to a sweeping slash of the knife, its blade carving a thin line in his throat as blood erupted from the wound instantaneously.

Hearing the commotion, the other guards turned towards the human supersoldier barreling down on them, his movements a blur of dark orange and red. The butt end of his combat pistol came down hard on the skull of another terrorist, his pain relieved by a slug being directed between his eyes. Spinning away from the shower of gore and brain matter, the Terminator's right foot crushed the windpipe of another guard, this time following up with a powerful stab into his poorly protected chest.

The knife launched from Slade's hand in a perfect arc, the edge bypassing his Kevlar armour and finding purchase in the throat of the fifth guard in front of him. In rapid succession, the assassin unloaded his pistol's clip into the heads of the remaining two terrorist's, their bodies dropping hard to the floor as the barrage of gunfire finally pierced their protective helmets. Jogging up to the metal door, he deftly placed a sticky grenade in its centre before ducking around the adjacent corner, the 5 second fuse mentally being ticked off like a checklist.

The door vaporized as he reached second number 5, the metal liquefying and expanding outwards in an expulsion of force that rocked the entire complex. He peered into the room, noticing the mangled corpse of a dead man dangling from the celling…

Just as a charge blast from a plasma hotgun ripped past his face, the intense heath singeing the edges of his mask. He heard the tell-tale flanging of a muffled Russian's voice, clearly belonging to the unwelcome conspirator in their ranks.

_KGBeast….._seethed Deathstroke under his breath.

"You bumbling idiot! You didn't even install a bloody camera out there!"

"I don't exactly have the budget for that sort of thing you walking genocide!" That voice belonged to Eduardo Calrossa, the Boss. The son-of-a-bitch Slade had been sent in to disembowel.

_Good, two birds, one entire arsenal of grenades_. Slade thought. He pulled out from behind cover and unloaded a volley of rounds from his fresh magazine. The two accomplices dove for cover, their armour already weakened from the breaching explosion.

"If you come out quietly, I promise I'll aim for the head!" shouted Slade over the roar of the crossfire, his own weapon taking pot shots at various uncovered body parts. "Except for you Beast, there's a special place in my garbage pail for your head!" He noticed in the periphery of his vision that the former Soviet agent had a hand wrapped firmly around Calrossa's throat, the pure ebony fabric of his armour almost glowing in the pale light of the room. The super soldier shoved him out of cover as he bolted for the emergency ladder located in the room's rear.

"Make up for your lack of foresight and stall him!" he sneered, his form already half-way up the ladder when Slade bounded out of cover. His former Latino ally glared at him, his voice filled with anger and betrayal.

"You're a sniveling coward Beast! I swear to the heaven's above that I'll…"

The wanted terrorist was unable to finish his sentence as his head was forcefully tossed into the nearest wall. Seeing stars, he could barely make out the murky figure of the lightning quick assassin as his fist connected with his nose, the cartilage immediately shooting out and onto his ragged combat armour. Another jab to his trachea left him dazed as his attacker grabbed his head roughly…

…and slammed it into a sharp bit of rock jutting out of the wall. His body lay limp as blood pooled out of his head wound. Deathstroke pivoted to face the now empty ladder as Sergeant Kobern's voice interrupted his combat trance.

"We're breaching Deathstroke! We've got your back!"

"Stay out of my way Kobern, I've got more important things to do tonight that be written up for treason!" He ripped his comm-link out of his ear and smashed it on the ground, the tiny escape of sparks cackling softly against his isolated combat boot. He darted up the ladder, his pistol holstered, as he hurled himself through the trap door at its top. He found himself on yet another rocky plateau, staring with a poisonous gaze towards the hunched over, red and black figure of the Soviet super soldier, his hand fumbling with something in the heavily armoured crevice that housed his ear. Slade's voice was pure malice.

"It'll take that shuttle you're trying to reach at least 14 minutes to get here on short notice. I promise you, I'll have flayed your corpse and worn your skin for at least 7 by that point. You're clearly working alone, so there won't be any rude interruptions this time."

KGBeast turned towards his challenger, his eyes burning with fire.

"That's bold talk from a walking corpse." he sneered in a wide combat stance. He shot his left arm out towards Slade, a ball of violet biotic energy flowing out of the gun grafted to his cybernetic arm. The Terminator rolled to his right before pushing off with his dominant leg towards the off-guard Beast, his entire mass darting towards him. Another ball of electric power sailed over the ducking Deathstroke's head as he brought his fist into the Russian's jaw, the extra armour on his knuckles and his advanced healing factor dampening what otherwise would have been a bone breaking strike. The Soviet super soldier staggered backwards, favoring his mouth.

"Impressive." he spat. "If only you had managed to hit like that during our last confrontation. I might not have rolled over you so easily…"

The Russian was experienced, unsurprising considering his membership amongst the elite ranks of the former KGB. His right fist connected with Slade's cheek, the force of the blow being enough to send his inert katana flying off his heavily padded back. KGBeast launched a vicious knee into Slade's midsection, doubling the assassin over. Raising his fist yet again, the Russian's covered face cackled with confidence through his mask.

Slade, however, was more than capable of dishing out his own beatings, and regained his strength just in time to catch the dropping fist with his hand. Torqueing the wrist hard, he delivered a quick jab to his opponent's temple before kicking in his right knee. KGBeast's leg buckled, leaving his face vulnerable to another haymaker from the assassin. The force of the punch knocked the supersoldier flat on his back, a trail of dust following him as he skidded on the rough rock ground. As he attempted to stand, he was barely able to duck a flying roundhouse kick before succumbing to a second jab to his jaw, this time drawing blood. A rapid succession of violent jabs and kicks connected with every limb the KGBeast could currently still feel, bruising his toughened skin and shattering his otherwise indestructible bones. Sensing immediate defeat or a prolonged and anguishing death, the Russian reached for his holstered pistol, aiming its barrel at the charging Deathstroke.

"I got you Slade!" screamed Sergeant Kobern. He came bounding over the uneven landscape just as KGBeast's extraction helicopter appeared overhead, the loud roar of the engines far more than enough to startle the DEO operative and send him awkwardly crashing into the rigid Soviet before him. He gripped the man by the wrist, his mind immediately ruling out using him as a hostage due to Slade's vicious actions, and instead flung him hard into the approaching assassin. The two humans collided hard, both skidding awkwardly back and away from the injured supersoldier.

Slade vainly attempted to push the immovable, and surprisingly heavy, agent off his torso as he saw KGBeast enter the waiting interior of his chopper. The Russian glanced backwards briefly, a condescending smirk crossing his now revealed features.

"Not a man of your word, are you Slade?" he mocked as he safely stepped into his escape vehicle. Seconds later it launched unmolested into the sky, just as Sergeant Kobern finally managed to disentangle himself and allowed the seething Deathstroke to rise. He looked at the assassin apologetically.

"I…uh…might have dropped the ball on this one…"

Slade's only response was a swift slash of his retrieved katana, the blade severing the agent's head from his shoulders cleanly. He pulled the communicator from the dead operative's head and inserted it into his own ear.

"Slade to Waller…the KGBeast got away." he stated neutrally. "But Calrossa is dead, along with the rest of the base." He paused for a brief second taking in the still crimson surroundings of the barren rock known as New Mexico.

"You can call in your cleanup crew and tell them to clean out the trash."

"Affirmative Slade. Got a message for you though."

Deathstroke's brow furrowed under his mask. "From who?"

"Evening Wilson." came a deep, reserved voice in response. Slade's eyes shot wider at the realization.

"Luthor? How the hell did you…"

"Know where you were? I have the President's ear, remember? He owes me a couple favours."

"Damn Super PAC's…" Wilson muttered under his breath. Luthor, unfazed, continued with his usual, overconfident swagger.

"Waller has informed me that I'm allowed to…borrow you for a brief errand. Would you be interested? I can assure you, it pays well."

Deathstroke needed little time to formulate an answer. "That depends, who's the target?"

A slight chuckle escaped Luthor's throat, sending an unwelcome chill down the spine of the hardened assassin.

"I need you to find none other than our favorite pointy eared friend from Gotham." He responded in an icy voice. "And then ensure he never interferes with my personal business ever again…"

* * *

**Since I love the character of Deathstroke so much, I thought it would be cool to do a side-story chapter about him as a way to set up his character and, more importantly, give him a little one on one time with DC's favorite government operative. Oh Waller you sassy sassy shadowy murderer...**

**Next chapter will continue the plot from where we left off. So just think of this as kinda being a tie in issue. But with knives. **


	9. Chapter 7: Historia Confracta

**We now return to our regularly scheduled mayhem in a universe that probably has seen better days. **

**But hey...I'm sure healthcare is free in this universe. Doesn't cost you anything to get shot in the head right?**

* * *

_**Chapter Seven: Historia Confracta**_

_**Gotham City: Earth-1793**_

The lone source of illumination in the crushingly grey tunnel swung back and forth on its exposed wire like a metronome, its pale glow switching between the scowling visage of Dick Grayson and the disquieted Justice League. The scarred flesh running down the length of his face tensed again as he ran his gaze over the super powered individuals in front of him, a displeased aura emanating from his very form. His eyes bore searing holes into the guests standing before him with an intensity that could have leveled cities, let alone a surprised group of lost visitors.

_The resemblance to Bruce is uncanny_, mused Diana as her mind wandered to the assortment of batglares that she, thankfully, only witnessed from a distance. She noted that the remaining fighters that had followed them through the labyrinthine sewers had pooled into the now unlocked room behind Dick, none of them stopping to so much as cast a cursory glance over their shoulders. They looked increasingly uncomfortable to her, though whether it was due to the cramped conditions they had just emerged from or the intimidating door man that greeted them, she wasn't sure. Fleetingly, she wondered if it was the League's presence that had them on edge.

Superman stepped forward timidly, still overcome with shock at the former Boy Wonders appearance, only to be rebuffed by the hardened man in front of him as he centred his glare at the Red Hood and Floyd. He spoke when the last guerilla disappeared into the blackness behind him.

"Out of all the orders you idiots could have ignored, you just had to go and break the seven seals, didn't you?" His tone was completely neutral, any emotion he felt being projected through the fire in his eyes.

Superman flinched slightly, catching the gaze of Diana yet again. She could spot the discreet signs of emotional fatigue creeping upon him like a sinister infection and automatically shuffled closer, her years as a member of the fabled "Trinity" conditioning her to act as the emotional balance for her friends. His muscled relaxed slightly in gratitude at her presence; however his eyes stared unendingly at the scarred man in front of them.

Confusion and concern; he telegraphed them audibly to her. She forced her worry to subside as the man in the crimson mask spoke up, sarcasm dripping from his every word.

"Glad to see you didn't do something dangerous like learn about compassion while we were gone."

Dick continued to glare unfazed at the masked freedom fighter, his lips curling into a discrete sneer. Superman quickly interjecting in as calming a tone as possible, his sharply honed perception sensing a brewing conflict between the supposed allies.

"In their defense Nightwing, it was more a manner of them rescuing us than anything else." he paused, selecting his words strategically. "We were outnumbered, outgunned and had no clear escape route; I'm sure they were just trying to help someone in need."

"I mean, what would you have wanted us to do Dick?" added Floyd, coming to the Kryptonian's aid. "Just leave them for dead?"

With no hesitation, the glowering man responded, his icy voice punctuating the otherwise still air around him.

"That would have been preferable, yes."

The League grimaced, the full brunt of Dick's indifference hitting them like a freight train. The Red Hood shook his head as he slouched against a cracking wall.

"Not like you to turn down help Grayson."

Dick's piercing gaze was redirected towards the overly relaxed fighter. "If you idiots can't see how dangerous these people are…"

It was Diana's turn to interject. "Nightwing…_Dick_, all we want to do is help. We're not dangerous; not to you, I swear on my life."

He scoffed and held up an accusatory finger, the oscillating light glowing off his now clearly agitated features.

"Your very _presence_ is a fucking magnet for danger, _all _of you!" he paused and attempted to calm himself, his voice returning to its previous dispassionate note. "And I don't know what a 'Nightwing' is, but I suggest you stop calling me that. Whatever you think it means where you come from, I can assure you that here, it means absolutely _nothing_."

Flash's eyes lit up with curiosity. "What do you mean 'where you _come from_'"?

Dick's eyes darted to the floor as he pondered his next response, the pause in the conversation clearly unnerving the League members. Noticing this, Red Hood benevolently spoke up.

"Look, before you answer, and you _will_, why don't you at least let us go inside with the rest of 'em. The ambiance in here is about as upbeat as fallout shelter filled with orphans." he glared at Dick as he paused, his voice now a low leer. "Besides, I have to take a piss."

Grayson's teeth ground together as his fists curled into a ball of agitation, another killing glare finding its way across his face. With an exasperated sigh, he relented, stepping away from the open door and gesturing for the League to pass through with a thunderous growl. He was the last to enter wrenching hard on the steel door as it slammed closed, the metallic clap drowning out a murmured curse directed to his loud-mouthed teammate.

"I gonna gut that son-of-a-bitch, I swear to god…"

…

…

…

Diana took in her surroundings with apprehension as Dick led the League through what he stated was the resistance's Forward Operating Base in Gotham, the last spark of humanity in the besieged city. The thin trail of light escaping from the celling basked the winding steel hallways in a somber, weak glow. Computer monitors stretched as far as the eye could see, each screen blinking and flashing in vain attempts to remain operational. The mix of faint blue and flickering orange poured over empty mattresses and cushions, the distinct twinge of blood spotting the occasional make-shift bedding. The entire area seemed to be an extension of the dwindling will of the resistance; human and furniture alike slumped dejectedly in the shifting shadows. What few civilians she could see that weren't adorned in armour lined a far wall to the group's right, their frightened and exhausted faces huddled together. Those that were armed stared at them with wary eyes, each man and women baring deep scars on both their exposed skin and clothing.

To see humanity so destitute and meek caused her heart to ache. More prevalent to her, however, was the thought that everyone here lived petrified under the shadow of a malevolent demon that just so happened to be the man she loved, or at least some version of him. That notion simply caused her heart to shatter in her chest.

Dick led them past the pained eyes of Gotham's survivors into an isolated room near the rear of the complex, a constant stream of neon blue light emanating from its depths. A rapid glance over her colleagues confirmed the universal relief felt amongst them at finally being shielded from the piercing stares of the civilians, each passing moment among them further devastating the already low spirits of the League. She stopped next to Superman as Dick leaned against an empty chair situated in front of the glowing computer monitors, Red Hood and Floyd Lawton taking up positions next to him. His voice remained icy as he gazed over his guests.

"You're clearly not from around here."

Green Lantern shifted on his feet, his brow furrowed in curiosity. "Not that I disagree, but how can you tell exactly?"

Dick's face hardened. "Various reasons. Most obvious being that we saw you tumble out of the sky."

The look of disbelief spread across the group. A calmed Hawkgirl chipped in skeptically.

"Were we that obvious?"

The scarred man shook his head. "We've managed to place some monitors strategically around Gotham, mostly to recover our…retreat. A couple of them managed to pick up you guys before the shockwave you caused knocked them out." the last few words dripped with venom as though the League had committed a grievous sin. J'onn however managed to pick up on the slight hesitation around the mention of an extraction.

"You're leaving the city?" he inquired.

A voice echoed behind them. "We tried, but The Imperium hasn't exactly made it easy for us. Lot of loose ends here still…" the startled group turned to see a woman standing in the now open doorway of the secluded room, her arms folded over her chest. Her fiery red hair flowed over her eyes, a burning passion licking the air around them. Both Floyd and Red Hood nodded their heads in her direction.

"Barbara."

"Ma'am."

Dick's scowl increased as Barbara Gordon entered the room, the closing door now granting them privacy again.

"You knew they went out to get them." he spat in more of a statement than a question. A smirk crossed Barbara's face.

"Of course, they were just following my orders after all."

Grayson's gaze hardened again. "_Why_?"

"Because you're being a stubborn ass who isn't thinking clearly." she responded calmly. "I don't know what stick you have lodged up your ass over these guys, but you'd better think about removing it if we want to survive long enough to get these people to Bludhaven."

He stood, his towering frame attempting unsuccessfully to intimidate the insubordinate Gordon. "You know _damn _well why I don't trust these guys."

Flash flailed his hands in a futile attempt to extinguish the situation forming in front of them, wincing slightly as pain shot through his bandaged forearm.

"Hey-hey guys, before we go all Jerry Springer here, you said something about 'The Imperium"…is that…"

"The name of Batman's regime yes." Barbara interrupted, sensing where the question was going. A grimace crossed the face of every League member at the mention of Bruce's name, the sadness being more pronounced on Clark and Diana's visage.

"You want to know what happened, don't you?" Barbara postulated. Diana's face rose with a pleading look.

"Please…" she said meekly.

Barbara nudged Dick's arm as Red Hood and Floyd Lawton pulled two folding chairs out from underneath a near-by table. Grayson stared at her defiantly before a dejected sigh escaped his lips. He cleared his throat as the League directed their gaze unflinchingly towards him.

"Batman was one of the first Superheroes to crawl out of the shadows…_literally _in his case. I think only Alan Scott came before him…anyways, for a while he was a godsend. Gotham's always been a cesspool but Christ; sometimes I think that pre-Batman era was almost as bad as this one. Once he started scaring thugs and knocking around corrupt cops…this city took a turn towards liveable. Hell even our sports teams started coming back; I don't think anyone understood how much good a hockey game did for the spirits until they packed up after their coach was murdered." he paused briefly, lost in a nostalgic fog. He jolted back into reality after Barbara's elbow connected with his abdomen.

"There were a few Supervillans that popped up, but nothing that he and his partner couldn't handle. Then…something happened. We don't know what but…one day the perps that he usually captured turned up at GCPD headquarters dead. I don't mean over the course of a couple weeks, I mean the corpses of Gotham's most wanted _and then some_ were lining the streets almost overnight. I remember seeing it on TV…I was shocked, I was sure that Batman never killed but…"

"You mean you weren't there with him?" interrupted Superman.

"Why would I be?" came Dick's response, a sneer stretched across his face. Diana placed her hand in front of Clark before giving him a knowing look, her way of telling him to drop it. She turned back towards Dick.

"What happened then?"

Grayson's head hung low off his shoulders as he continued, the pain engraved in his memories evident to all the watched him.

"Barbara's dad had to arrest him. Batman or not, he crossed the line. No, he damn well _obliterated it_. If it had been just the Banes or Prometheus's I'm sure Gotham would have let it slip, maybe. But we're talking about low level thugs too; high school kids who needed a quick buck or some disabled veteran that got his benefits revoked. People that didn't deserve to be _slaughtered._"

"I'm guessing he didn't go quietly." interjected Hawkgirl.

"He _murdered _half the GCPD." Dick shot fire through his eyes in her direction as he responded gravely. "He had Mayor Hill's head on a pike before Jim even went public…suppose he got off easy." Barbara visibly tensed at the mention of her father's name, Superman's memory taking him back to City Hall and the grisly scene adorning the flag pole. He shuddered as Dick continued.

"Then we find out that Batman's been Bruce Wayne the entire time, which means he has control of the entire Orbital Monitoring and Communications System satellites. World communications froze in an instant; we were completely blind deaf and dumb while this maniac pranced through the Gotham metropolitan area killing off whoever he damn well felt like. Turns out Wayne Enterprises had a PMC stored for _just _such an occasion too, because all of a sudden these shock troopers started appearing out of nowhere, rounding up world leaders and executing them on live TV. Most countries were already weak after their entire economies and communications networks collapsed. Those that weren't…well let's just say that only Batman would arm 'peaceful' satellites with _kinetic missiles_…"

He paused again, slowly rising from his seated position. He closed the distance between him and the League, his eyes burrowing into their agape features. He stared intently at Diana, the look of complete horror that flushed over her telegraphing her feelings vividly to him. He continued with a solemn look.

"These guys had weapons that we thought would be science fiction for at least two decades. And their numbers kept on swelling, like some kind of parasite that only multiplies the more you hit back at it. It didn't take long for Batman to have total control of the planet…and it _certainly _didn't take long for the killings to start…Gordon and a bunch of Batman's former allies started a resistance movement in Gotham and Bludhaven, but with total control of pretty much everything, Batman was able to squash us almost immediately. We never stood a chance…" He glanced down dejectedly, sadness washing over him. "He wouldn't want me to say that…but goddammit it's true. This whole resistance was doomed from the start!"

Barbara placed a comforting hand on Dick's shoulder before moving beside him, her sympathetic face now staring at the anguished League in front of her.

"Dick and I joined at about the same time, Hood and Floyd over here not long after that. We didn't grow much though…Tim was…Tim was the last official recruit for the Gotham branch of the resistance. Not that we can confirm the existence of any other resistance groups outside of this city…"

Superman looked at her with pleading eyes, his Kryptonian brain struggling to comprehend the horror story he had just born witness too.

"Where were we? Where was the Justice League?"

Dick and Barbara looked at each other timidly, both of them unsure of how to answer. Dick's face hardened again and his voice frosted over. He glared back at the man of steel.

"You weren't much help." he hissed.

Green Lantern's fist clenched, his ring glowing in a luminescent green. Disgust emanated from every word.

"So we're in a damn _alternate universe_." He seethed. The League collectively groaned, Flash's hand connecting with his forehead.

"This is _so_ cliché." he murmured to himself. The group's outburst ceased as Dick fired a vitriolic glare at them. Red Hood meanwhile launched himself from his seat and stretched nonchalantly, his voice laced with apathy.

"Point is, the world's fucked and the best we can do is get as many people out of the culling grounds as possible. You know, until he eventually finds them and skins them alive."

Dick's ferocious glare shifted towards Red Hood, who stood unfazed.

"Wanna watch your tongue Hood?"

Before he could respond, the doors to the room shot open with a hydraulic _whoosh_. A pusillanimous voice entered the room as the group turned.

"Dick one of our scouts just reported back and said…oh, Barbara I see you went ahead with your little Easter egg hunt after all."

"Dent, you knew too?" Dick sneered. Harvey held his hands up defensively.

"I'm not one to say 'no' to Barbara when she's on the prowl, like most sane men. I just stayed out of the way." He ogled the Justice League briefly. "Can't say I disagree with her though; these guys look like they could take a lot of punishment, that can only be a good thing at this point…"

Dick stood quickly as he brushed off Barbara. Passing by the still standing League, he roughly grabbed Dent by his unarmoured shoulder.

"I'll deal with the scouts, _you _entertain our…_guests_ here. Make sure they don't leave without my knowledge."

Harvey gulped slightly as he was forcefully shoved into the room. He sighed sheepishly.

"Doesn't take much to piss him off anymore, does it? Poor kids shouldering too much…"

Hawkgirl eyed the man suspiciously. "Harvey Dent, huh?"

Harvey nodded. "Yes ma'am. I ran logistics with Barbara here for the Resistance…or what's left of it. Not much use for a DA in a dead city…" he halted as a thought rolled around in his sharp mind. "Am I right to assume there's another version of me where you come from?"

"There are alternate versions of all of you." Superman responded quickly. "That's part of why we're having so much trouble acclimatizing…not that it would be easy under the best of circumstances." he whispered the last bit quietly, only the nearby Diana registering the despair weaved throughout his words.

Red Hood's curiosity was peaked. "So what exactly am I in your neck of the woods? Please don't tell me I'm some sort of tycoon…"

J'onn responded inquisitively. "You said your name wasn't Jason Todd…who are you exactly?"

Red Hood's shoulders slumped, an aura of pain emanating from his visage. Slowly, he responded.

"Name's Jack…Jack Napier. Used to be a satirist in the good ol' days, was pretty funny too. So funny in fact that ol' Basty decided to give me a permanent grin." He unfastened his helmet, revealing a scarred Glasgow Smile. Despite the putrid sight in front of them, the League remained relatively calm. Jack's brow furrowed in surprise.

"Usually that elicits a bit more of a reaction from people…" his mind churned in possibilities before he settled on a disturbing explanation. His face sunk. "Just how fucked up am I in your universe?"

Harvey stepped in front of them, his hands raised in interruption.

"I'd leave it if I were you Hood; it's probably best if you didn't know." Both Diana and Clark silently nodded in agreement. He turned back towards the League inquisitively. "How did you guys manage to evade all the Imperium troopers?"

Superman sighed, his posture slouching dejectedly as the all too recent memories flooded back to him. "We didn't…we thought we were saving a bunch civilians from execution, but we were overrun. Around civilians, there wasn't much even superpowers could do against an army that size."

Harvey sighed as he placed a hand deftly against Superman's shoulder. "I know how it feels. When Jim told me that Batman was just randomly killing people off…I didn't want to believe it either. I had worked with the guy for almost a decade…never once did I think he would turn into this…_monster_." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Wonder Woman tense up again, but paid it no heed.

Flash stepped closer to Harvey a question hanging anxiously from his lips. "If Batman's just randomly whacking people…why does he need this 'world conqueror' shtick? Seems like a lot of wasted effort." Flash could feel a wave of nausea rise in his throat at the very thought of one of his mentor's turning to evil, however his insatiable curiosity kept the bile down.

Barbara shrugged dejectedly. "Don't know. If I had to guess, it'd be to make it appear like there's some sort of order still present. Keeps the population pacified until it's their turn on the chopping block." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Sure motivates them to do some damn cruel things to each other too…"

The previously silent Floyd Lawton stepped forward hurriedly into the Justice League's line of sight, his hand stroking his ragged goatee. His hand unconsciously clasped around a watch adorning his right wrist.

"Ultimately, it doesn't matter. We've still got civilians here, and with the Justice League we might finally get to move them out of Gotham. They're our best shot."

"I'm more than willing to kick some Imperium ass along the way…" concurred Shayera, her eyes hardened with determination. Harvey visibly nodded, his gaze shifting towards Barbara.

"Dick won't like it, but I agree. You guys are our best shot at preventing any further death on Gotham grounds, and based off what I saw earlier on the monitors, I'm guessing you'd be more than willing to help."

"You don't even have to ask." chimed in Superman. The League universally agreed, their visage standing defiantly as their spirits lifted slightly at the prospect of action with coordinated support. A small smile crept onto Barbara and Harvey's faces at the proud members of the League in front of them.

"You know, for once Harvey…I think I'm almost feeling hopefully." she stated. Harvey chuckled slightly.

"When was the last time we could say that?" he inquired. "Then again…when was the last time we had the Super Friends over here backing us up?"

The tension in the room eased slightly, the jovial mood of the previously dejected and deathly serious resistance leaders spreading to the League. For but a fleeting moment, the horrors that they had previously witnessed evaporated into nothingness, and the depressing realization that one of their own, even if it was a seemingly alternate version of him, had fallen into the suffocating abyss of malevolence, evaporated into nothingness. It was instead replaced with the longing for Justice and the protection of the innocent that led to the Leagues formation in the first place. The super powered beings beamed; they hadn't been there for this distant pocket of the multiverse in its time of need, but now, they had the opportunity to right those wrongs. More importantly for Clark and Diana, they could now get the answers they so desperately sought. Red Hood clasped his helmet around his head before pounding his enclosed fist into his opposite hand.

"Let's kick some Imperium ass then."

Barbara turned towards the towering monitors, each one seemingly glowing more intensely now, and bean furiously typing into its keyboard.

"We can start with clearing out one of the abandoned sections; that should give us the room to move all these people out of the city. Once we get to Bludhaven and rendezvous with our advanced assets there, we can start planning a…" suddenly, her face turned deathly white as all the positive energy that seemed to have been built up in the room swiftly vanished. The League moved closer as a now trembling Barbara Gordon mumbled curses to herself.

"Shit…shit shit _shit! _This isn't good…"

"What is it?" demanded Superman, his eyes now lit up in confusion and concern. The door behind them shot open quickly, revealing the angered silhouette of Dick Grayson. He threw a pulse rifle at Harvey Dent before focusing his searing gaze back on the Justice League. His voice was completely neutral, and yet flames seemed to sprout from his mouth as he spoke.

"We're under attack…the Imperium found us…"

* * *

**Annnnnnnnndddddd that's the end of the Chapter. This ended up being the exposition chapter, so hopefully the dialogue was interesting enough and there was enough going on that you didn't feel like you were reading a Hideo Kojima script. Hopefully it answered _some _of your questions as well while still leaving your appetite parched for more (as a wise woman once said: let them eat cake, and then make sure they wonder if you used flour or anthrax to bake it). **

**Anyways, thank you guys kindly again for all the reviews and favorites/follows, I greatly appreciate all of them! Don't feel apprehensive about leaving comments of any variety!**

**Stay tuned for more thrilling action as Flash realizes he left the stove on before they went all "Crisis On Two Earths" and that his insurance most definitely won't cover a house fire... **


	10. Chapter 8: Eques Huetio

**And now back to our regularly scheduled program.**

**I was going to make a joke about having 52 reviews and following in DC's footsteps by rebooting my entire universe, but I have 55 now so it doesn't work anymore. **

**Speaking of which , thank you all very kindly for the feedback and the favorites/follows, I greatly appreciate all of them! Despite this chapter threatening to separate my arm from my shoulder, I continue to have a blast writing this and receiving all the positive reviews (of course don't be afraid to suggest potential improvements either)! **

**Hope you guys enjoy this Chapter, and I'll see you on the other side! **

* * *

_**Chapter Eight: **__**Eques Huetio**_

_**Elsewoods County: Earth-861**_

The crisp autumn breeze that snaked through the cacophony of pine and oak trees stung Bruce's unshaven face, each heave of air scratching his flesh with icy claws. The shifting branches in front of him enveloped the Dark Knight in oscillating shadows from the luminescent full moon hanging low in the sky, its reflected rays of light providing cover for his predatory gaze. He scanned the dreary gunmetal facility jutting out of the evergreen woodland as his weary eyes and mind wandered to the radiant hunk of rock suspended in space.

"_Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" he had asked her seductively. _

"_Why Mr. Wayne, that sounds almost threatening." she purred in response, her hand sensually brushing a piece of raven hair behind her ear. Her perfume flooded his senses with lavender, a scent that still lingered in the very depths of his soul. _

"_Now why would I threaten someone who could break me in half?" he guided her head gently to his shoulder as their eyes closed in unison, his arms wrapping tightly around her Amazonian form. _

"_Judging by your nocturnal activities, I'd wager you get off on it." her gentle chuckle drew him closer as they snuggled their warm faces together. Their lips pursed, guided together by an invisible, omniscient force. She stopped a hairs breadth away, the shinning pearls of her eyes gazing deeply into his. _

"_I think a dance would be lovely, Mr. Devil." _

Grunting audibly, he pushed the memory violently out of his mind, his piercing stare hardening. His binoculars rapidly zoomed in on the complex as he scanned the entirety of its outside walls. Silently shifting to infrared, he poured over the exterior a second time, his analytical mind immediately noticing the lack of any heat signatures emanating from behind the walls.

_He's shielded the interior_, he grumbled to himself.

A set of inert transport vans caught his attention as he shifted his lens towards them, the image enlarging under the binoculars enhanced magnification. The LexCorp decal glowed menacingly in the artificial light.

_The tailpipes are glowing hot….they've been active recently. That son-of-a-bitch must have fortified his guard after I left….._

The move was far from unexpected, however the increasingly sour mood of the Dark Knight offered him little reprieve as his anger threatened to boil over. Returning his collapsible binoculars to its designated pouch, he mentally reviewed his analysis of the facilities exterior, his sleep-deprived mind desperately searching for a strategic plan of attack.

_Main complex is most likely underground…guards could number close to a hundred, stealth would be preferable…..though it doesn't matter if Luthor warned them I'm coming…..the moment one guard fails to report back…it'll set the entire base on high alert, if it isn't already….._

Batman's ebony gauntlets tensed into a tight fist as a putrid realization crept over the recesses of his mind.

_Could Luthor have already destroyed Brainiac's ship? Sent me on a wild goose chase just to make sure _every _member of the League is out of commission while he… _

His already shot nerves got the better of him. His demonic form rose slowly, his cloak flapping wildly over him and engulfing his figure in darkness. Batman's already tense facial muscles contorted further, jabs of pain running along his exposed face, as the breeze mercilessly slapped him with a torrent of frigid air. He shot glares at the facility, at the legions of Luthor's loyal followers who dared to stand in the way of the League's rescue. Of _Diana's _rescue.

The mental barricades he erected to hold of his torrent of anger finally collapsed as his subconscious further subjected him to the torturous memory of his failure. Throwing his bellowing cape back onto his shoulders, he whipped out his right gauntlet from its resting place next to his thigh and roughly tapped a hidden command into its miniaturized computer. Holding his arm up to his face, he growled into its microphone, his sharp baritone cutting into the frigid peace of the forest.

"Batwing, execute command _14-48_, authorization code _Omega-Delta 7_. Lock onto inserted coordinates."

As he finished barking his orders, he leapt from his hiding spot down the clearing, his shadowy form bounding ceaselessly towards the private LexCorp facility. The piercing shrill of the Batwing's engines materialized overhead as it buzzed the facility, the guards on the exterior scrambling into intercept position. The groan of the sleek aircraft launching into the sky was drowned out by the blaring alarm emanating from the complex, scores of search lights pouring light into the night sky.

The distraction allowed Batman to reach the edge of the complex unmolested as armoured soldiers scurried around the complex's outer walls. He halted on a grassy knoll, the biting wind blowing his cape over his shoulders. He glanced up at the sky as a blizzard of tracers launched into the heavens, the darting silhouette of the bat plane continuing to rise higher into the sky.

Its engines ceased midflight. The all-pervading power of gravity took over and propelled it downwards towards the ground. The sudden cries of the facilities security brought Batman's attention back to the facility he stood before, the enhanced lenses in his cowl capturing the sight of terror stricken soldiers fleeing for cover…

Just as the Batwing slammed into the facility at full speed.

The roof exploded in a bright ball of orange and red as massive chunks of metal and concrete were launched into the sky. Columns of fire leapt into the starlit sky as choking smoke began to flood the surrounding area. Batman remained stoic as he reached into his utility belt a removed an oxygen mask from its compartment. He quickly attached it to the bottom of his cowl as he vaulted forward, a grapple line snaking out from his gun and attaching itself to the roof of the destroyed building. He accelerated forward as the fire licking his boots, the pure white slits on his cowl never darting from his newly created entrance.

Releasing his hold on the wire, he spread his cloak behind him to slow his advance before diving head first into the fire-singed hole in the complex's roof, the waves of fire bathing him in an orange glow.

A dazed soldier slowly rose from the ground, favoring his right arm, as he turned back towards the facility that he had just moments ago been violently thrown from. His eyes lit up in terror at the parade of flames before him, as his gaze immediately turned to the black figure descending from the sky.

If the soldier had been religious, he would have sworn he saw Lucifer himself descending back into the fiery pits of hell…

…

…

…

_**Gotham City: Earth-1793 **_

"You led them right to us!" Dick screamed as he forcefully jabbed is finger into the unmoving Man of Steel. "You storm in here like you have some sort of immortal privilege and you end up leading them straight to our _fucking doorstep_!"

Superman remained still, however a discrete twitch shot across his face, noticeable only to the Amazon beside him. Before she could react however, Harvey stepped towards Dick and placed his hand roughly on the resistance leader's shoulder.

"Don't you think we have more important things to do than throw around blame like we're a bunch of schoolyard bullies?" he spat.

Dick roughly threw the man's hand off before pivoting to face him, his eyes burrowing pure vitriol into Harvey's.

"If Batman knows we're here then he's just as privy to the fact that we have an untold number of civilians _stranded _here too! More than that, he's probably _already _cut off any of our escape routes to Bludhaven if he hasn't already nuked the city as we speak! Because of these walking apocalypses here, we're about a minute away from bathing in our own _blood_!"

The Man of Steel forcefully stepped closer to Dick, any trepidation being completely washed away by a surge of pure determination. Floyd and Jack timidly motioned closer, anticipating a brewing fight.

"That won't happen, not under our watch." Clark motioned to the nodding League members behind him, their posture similarly resolute. "We can buy you enough time to evacuate your people without risking any more of your soldiers. Besides, they probably won't any attention to you since their _clearly _only here for us…"

Superman laced his words with uncharacteristic snark as he glowered at Dick, his imposing physique pushing up against the mortal man. Diana knew she should rein him in before the situation progressed further downhill, but she found herself unable to do so as her Amazonian pride overrode her sensibilities.

Unfazed, Dick clenched his jaw as he thrust his face closer to Superman's, his voice laced in a low growl.

"That doesn't really solve the problem of _where _we're supposed to go though, does it _fly-boy_?"

"Elsewoods." Barbara calmly stated, her back still turned to the bickering males. "There's an abandoned facility in Elsewoods, private military last time I checked." The series of monitors in front of her morphed into a grainy image of a non-descript complex jutting out of the brown skeletons that once had been a forest of might trees. Jack scratched the bottom of his helmet as Floyd fumbled nervously with the watch on his wrist.

"It's a long haul, but the subways system will lead us far enough out of the city that we should be in the clear." Barbara continued as she spun around in her chair, her illuminated visage now facing the steaming Dick and Clark. "It may be a bunch of twigs, but they'll have a hell of a hard time follow us. Assuming you two can stop scratching at each other long enough to start acting like _leaders_, that is."

Superman relented apologetically while Dick only scowled at Barbara, his contorted grimace telegraphing his displeasure at being outnumbered in an argument. Diana quickly interjected, her voice a calming breeze against the rising tension between the two squabbling men.

"We should be able to hold them off long enough to get the civilians into the tunnels and away from the fighting. After that we can split up and draw their fire away from you while you retreat."

Flash nodded enthusiastically, his hyperactive body longing to be freed from the concrete coffin he found himself in.

"We'll be able to make it to this _Elsewoods _in no time, don't worry about us."

"I wasn't." responded Dick, the harshness of his tone further grinding the already agitated League. Hawkgirl palmed her mace as her pent up rage threatened burst forth, however before she could say anything, the resistance leader sighed heavily before turning his attention towards Floyd and Jack.

"You two are with me; we'll follow them up to the surface to make it look like the resistance is fighting back instead of retreating. But keep your heads _down_; pot shots _only_, understood?"

The two nodded as Grayson pivoted towards Barbara. "Babs, you and Dent coordinate with the rest of our fighters to escort the civilians to the tunnels. Take everything of importance and _nothing _more; we can't risk being bogged down with superfluous junk." His authoritative voice morphed back into a tone laced with stubbornness and distrust as his gaze settled back on the League.

"If we're doing this, we're doing it _my _way, got it?"

"Of course dear." Barbara dismissed sarcastically as she spun on her chair. Pulling up an external feed, she motioned back towards the group. "Might want to get going, they're starting to swarm."

Dick rushed out of the room with Floyd and Jack hot on his heels while Harvey sauntered towards a group of near-by resistance fighters. Green Lantern sighed as his shoulders slumped, exhaustion creeping onto his face.

"He's worse that _our _Batman…" he murmured. Hawkgirl turned to address Barbara.

"Was he always this much of an asshole?" she asked unapologetically. Barbara only sighed.

"No…not always. But what do you expect from someone who thinks they need to shoulder the world's problems all on their own?"

Diana forcefully bit down on her lip as another wave of emotions threatened to engulf her. She was stirred from her momentary stupor as Superman led the group out of the increasingly cramped room into the hall. After their cleared the doorframe, Flash quietly spoke up.

"Not that I don't want to help these people…but now that we know we're in some alternate universe or whatever, how do we plan on getting home?"

The group stopped in their tracks, their faces fallen slightly from the realization that they were trapped in a foreign and hostile world. J'onn, who had been quite up until now, attempted to ease the depressing aura building up around them as he spoke.

"I believe you humans have a saying; 'cross that bridge when we come to it'…" he paused. "Right now, all that matters is that this world is in trouble, and despite Dick's misgivings, we're the most capable individuals around at turning the tide. I won't shunt my duty as a member of the Justice League simply because we stranded far from home. If anything, we should make the best of an unfortunate situation. Not so much for us, but for the people who _do _call this place home."

He motioned sympathetically towards the scurrying civilians bustling around them, the looks of terror and worry flushing their otherwise hopeless faces. Hawkgirl smirked before pounding her knuckles into her opposite fist.

"The lets show these guys what happens when you mess with something under the Justice League's protection." Glancing around each at each other, a small set of smiles crept onto the dejected faces of the League. Nodding, they bounded through the halls and out into the foray leading to the surface as Barbara's commanding voice echoed throughout the metal bunker. With renewed purpose, each restless hero was more than willing to take out their pent up emotion of one of Batman's hapless mooks.

…

…

…

"The evacuation's underway." Harvey's voice cracked over Dick's comm-link, the connection still cursed with static from the ancient brick and stone buildings of Gotham's East Side. "I can't say how long it's going to take to get everyone out, but the pace seems quick. I think they're more than anxious to get out of here, Imperium attack or not."

"Helps that there aren't many survivors to start with." Dick gloomily deadpanned as he smashed in the face of an Imperium trooper. He barely registered the sting of glass digging through his torn gloves as he leveled another trooper with a haymaker. A flutter of typing filled his ears as Harvey responded, concern wrapped in every word.

"Dick, look…" he began to say, a futile attempt at reaching out to the besieged leader. Dick shrugged it off as he crushed the windpipe of a closing in soldier.

"Keep me updated or get off the line, Dent. I need to concentrate."

The line quickly went dead, leaving Dick's ears free to be flooded with the thunderous sounds of battle around him. Hawkgirl's war cry pierced through the veil of automatic fire while Dick's fist pummelled through the face-plate of another Imperium Shock Trooper.

A flurry of bullets pounded the wall behind Dick as he dove for cover, slivers of brick and granite dancing in the air around him. Red Hood vaulted over a protruding piece of rubble before launching himself hard into the ground, the growing soot allowing him to slide into cover next to his boss. Nodding, both men levied their pulse rifles over their cover and prepared to open fire on the columns of advancing shock troopers.

Until the ground around them split open as Superman rocketed into the ground near the enemy platoon, the immense force of the landing sending blurs of grey and black flying backwards unconscious. A quick flash of red, blue and gold surrounded the two resistance fighters as the Man of Steel deftly cleared the area of any resistance. His towering form materialized in front of them.

"No killing, no exceptions." He stated, his arms crossed defiantly over his chest. Dick scowled.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! We're in the middle of a warzone!"

Red Hood threw up his hands, exasperated, as he pointed at Superman.

"What are we supposed to do, spank them?"

The group turned as Wonder Woman plowed into fist first into an Imperium tank, the bulky front of the vehicle caving in around her arm. Soldiers clambered out of the destroyed vehicle as she hefted it over her head and launched it over the bewildered resistance fighters into an approaching, second tank. A strategic throw of a discarded hunk of metal clipped the wing of a strafing aircraft, its engines sputtering and dying over their heads. The falling craft rounded a street corner as Diana bounded over to the group.

"They're still people, no matter what he did to them. We can't let fear compromise what makes us heroes."

Her bracelets deflected another barrage of rounds aimed at the congregation, forcing Dick and Jack into cover. A strategic blast of Superman's heat vision liquefied the guns in their hands as Diana's lasso snaked around a near-by buildings support beam. With the mere flick of her wrist, the brick layer that lined the building's exterior collapsed around the Imperium troopers, burying them in a layer of dust and rock. The even drum of their hearts confirmed for Superman that they were merely unconscious.

"Think strategically." Wonder Woman stated plainly. "There are ways to incapacitate without killing."

"In case you hadn't noticed lady, we don't exactly have super strength…" retorted Red Hood, his fingers still laced around his guns trigger. Superman violently pivoted to face them, a look of pure annoyance emanating from his features.

"Then aim for grazing shots, I don't care! Just no killing! We're not monsters, any of us!"

With that, Superman shot towards the sky with Wonder Woman tailing behind him, a trail of pulse rounds following them as they took aim at a wing of approaching fighters. Red Hood grunted.

"Now I get why you hate these guys." he murmured to Dick. His boss hissed in response.

"Just shut up and keep your head on a swivel, these guys will be gunning for us."

"Sure thing Dick…" he trailed off as a blur of red shot past them, helmets and guns being thrown up into the air as it passed. A terrified scream reverberated through the streets, turning Jack's attention to what he swore was a massive green dragon picking apart an unlucky platoon. He glanced absentmindedly at Dick.

"Mind telling me what the hubbub with the scouts was all about?" he inquired as Dick fired a volley of rounds into a soldiers leg. He glanced at the sky and sneered before violently kicking the down enemy in the head.

"I sent a recon battalion into the city after Gordon died to try and track down something."

"A weapon?" a burst from Hood's own gun tore apart the ligaments of a shock troopers arm. Hawkgirl's screeching form violently plowed through a throng of enemies, sending an unconscious soldier careening into a wall just behind Jack. Another exchange of fire from Dick drew his attention back to the resistance leader.

"Better, we're talking a _real_ game changer here. Tim had scouted it out back before he…" he trailed off, pain creeping slowly into his voice. Hood was one of the few people who could notice.

"And?" he curtly replied, deftly dodging a sweeping kick from a rushing Officer before connecting with a snapping strike of his own. Dick meanwhile had angrily slammed the butt-end of his gun into the face of the trooper he was tangled with, the violence of the strike complimenting the anger dripping from his words.

"It's _gone. _He moved it right after these self-proclaimed gods dropped from the sky, I'm _sure _of it. They put us right in Batman's crosshair and didn't even have the goddamn common courtesy to look where they walk. " Another burst from his rifle struck the arm of another trooper, an agitated smirk crossing his lips as a stray bullet accidentally struck the troopers neck. Dark crimson flowed out of the wound as the gurgling death throes of the hapless trooper were drowned out by a violent, nearby explosion.

Another impact shook the duo. A high explosive round from an encroaching tank sailed through the choking air, forcing them to their stomachs. Out of the corner of his eye, Dick could see the canon taking aim at them…

Only to have a neon green replica of the very tank facing them down roll right in front of them, its emerald armour absorbing the blast before it could reach them. It disappeared just as a piercing ray of green light cut through the heavy armour, severing the turret from the chassis. A make-shift trench materialized in front of them as a wave of infantry rounded the street corner in front of them. They dove into cover as a hail of green launched from two small turrets mounted to the top of the trench, the rounds bouncing hard off the armoured chests of the troopers and launching them backwards. Red Hood turned to see Green Lantern land next to them, his glowing fist pointed towards their cover.

"Rubber bullets, honest." he stated as he slid into cover next to them. Jack scoffed.

"Guess they're good for _something_." he muttered under his breath.

John turned towards the two resistance fighters with a confused glance.

"Where's the other one? The guy with the monocle?"

"Floyd's covering us from one of the near-by towers; he works better from a distance." Dick responded curtly.

"Does he know about the no kill rule?" Lantern inquired, the drone of automatic fire emanating from his constructs forcing him to raise his voice.

Dick chuckled lowly, more out of disgust than humour. "If he doesn't, I'm sure your boy scout will let him know soon enough…"

Shayera's mace soured through the air, carrying cackling energy with it, as it plowed into the ground near the remaining soldiers, the resulting explosion launching them into the air. Quickly retrieving it, she landed next to the now standing John.

"Any word on how much longer we have to keep this up?" she huffed. "I don't heal as fast as Superman you know…"

Seeing that the coast was clear, Dick barked into his ear peace.

"Dent, status report. Now!"

"Significantly more than halfway through." He crackled through the static. "Barbara's got them going double time. We should have everyone gone within the next five minutes."

"Music to my ears." mused Jack. He glanced at Dick. "What's our escape plan?"

Dick roughly shoved past Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, motioning for Hood to follow him. He responded, distaste lacing his every word.

"We let these guys offer themselves up on a platter, and then we bolt." He sprinted away quickly with Jack in hot pursuit, leaving Hawkgirl and Lantern behind in a huff. Scowling, Shayera glared at their disappearing silhouettes and spat.

"I'd bash his head in if I didn't think he was the only reason the Resistance was the least bit motivated." She deadpanned. John merely grimaced as he took to the sky.

"Makes me wonder how Diana puts up with Bruce sometimes…"

…

…

…

Wonder Woman streaked through the clouds as her tailing pursuers fired and endless stream of projectiles at her. She turned sharply as the incoming bullets struck the out shells of the fighter wing she was charging head on, their disabled forms plummeting to towards the ground. Deflecting another deluge of rounds with her bracelets, she angled her arms towards her chest. The harmless ping of the fighter's armaments changed course off her wrists and sailed through the air, striking the planes they originated from. A second wing plowed through the dissipating smoke where her attackers had been as they rushed Diana, their missile silo's emptying in rapid fashion. She shifted her position slightly, noticing the missiles changing course midflight.

_Heat-seekers…_she mused to herself.

Flipping through the air, she sped towards the ground, the roar of her stalking projectiles emanating behind her. She could see a street congested with Imperium troopers rapidly approaching, the heat of the missiles behind her increasing rapidly. She eased off on her descent until she nearly level with the roofs of the decaying and skeletal brick buildings. Moving in a zigzagging pattern that took her increasingly close to the surrounding brick walls, she could hear the bulky missiles colliding with structures beside her, the explosion showering the street in brick, concrete and steel. She could hear the troopers below her scurry for cover as the last missile impacted the steeple of a cathedral, the clatter of the falling bell drowning out the shower of brick striking the pavement below.

She landed forcefully next to the Flash, her right arm blocking a vicious jab from a dazed Officer. Grappling with him, she launched his struggling form into an approaching column of soldiers, sending them careening to the side at the force of his impact. Flash gave her a curt salute before speeding towards another platoon, his powerful form bowling through them as if they were rooted to the ground. She passed the massive, multi-tentacled form of J'onn violently smacking around several columns of soldiers before glancing at Superman, a barrage of rounds harmlessly bouncing off his impervious form. She stopped next to him as he effortlessly dispatched an approaching fighter wing with his heat vision. His hand moved to his ear.

"J'onn, any word on the evacuation?"

"You want me to pry into the minds of Barbara or Harvey to find out?" the Martian Manhunter responded skeptically in more a statement than a question. Superman nodded as he swatted down another wing of fighters.

"We need to know if we're going to give Dick and his men the time they need to pull back."

There was a brief pause before J'onn calmly responded. "They are nearly complete. We only need to hold them off for a few more minutes."

"Good," came Superman's curt reply, "Thanks J'onn."

Wonder Woman's lasso snaked out of her hands and entwined itself around the tail of a passing jet. With an audible heavy she launched it into the middle of a hostile swarm of aircraft, the angle just enough to have the weaponized shell catch the wings of several fighters as it passed through, the dying planes dropping to the sky like downed hornets. She eyed the carnage with uncertainty.

"Kal, I'm not seeing any chutes…" she motioned towards the tumbling aircraft. Superman's brow furrowed as he released the severed wing of another fighter. His gaze hardened in the direction of the flock of aircraft.

"They must be drones." he replied, though he continued to glare at the attacking aircraft skeptically. Diana shook her head as she dodged another barrage of bullets.

"They're making too many complex decisions to be automatized, and they're too bulky to be controlled remotely."

Superman paused, leveling his x-ray vision on plane that skirted next to him. A look of confusion crept onto his visage.

"My x-ray vision can't pick anything up from the inside. It's like they're lined with…" his eyes shot wide in terror as a horrifying realization dawned on him. "…lead…"

He shot to the ground quickly, a confused Wonder Woman tailing close behind him, as he screamed into his League communicator.

"Do not engage the aircraft! I repeat do not engage the aircraft!"

Hawkgirl's enraged voice screeched though the earpiece.

"What the hell do you mean 'don't engage', they're _shooting _at us!"

"Batman's on to us; he insulated them with some sort of lead-based polymer to block out my x-ray vision! They're probably filled with captured civilians or some other hostage; either way, if we shoot them down, we kill the pilot!"

"But you don't know that!" spat back Hawkgirl, an audible grunt echoing through the League's earpieces.

"We can't take that risk!" Superman shot back as he crashed into the ground, the resulting shockwave devastating an armoured battalion near him. His voice sunk as he noticed the smouldering wreckage of a fighter jutting out of a collapsed building. "He's doing this one purpose, to mess with our heads! We have to stop, we're not killers!"

"The how the hell do you propose we retreat when the skies are swarmed with bullets and missiles?" she screamed back, he sound of her mace colliding with metal causing static to shoot through the connection.

"We'll figure out a way." Superman replied defiantly. He glanced over at Wonder Woman, who was engaging a group of charging officers in hand-to-hand combat alongside the scurrying Flash. The ground quaked as Hawkgirl slammed furiously into the pavement, the still visage of Green Lantern not far behind her. She prowled towards the Man of Steel and jammed her finger hard into his chest.

"No, we won't. Air superiority is the key to getting out alive, and if we just sit back and let them take pot shots at us we're as good as…"

_ENOUGH! _J'onn screamed, his telepathic outburst rattling the minds of every League member in the vicinity. He materialized overhead with the struggling forms of Dick, Jack and Floyd wrapped in his arms. He dropped them roughly as he descended, his fiery orange eyes turning towards Green Lantern.

"Cover everyone in a vibrating bubble oscillating at an ultra-low frequency." he instructed, his form morphing back to his original, Martian appearance. Before John could object, he telepathically continued.

_Stay low and inside the bubble; no matter what, do _not _leave until it's over._

An anxious Wonder Woman piped up as he took to the air. "When _what's _over? What are you doing J'onn?"

The Martian Manhunter hovered directly over them as the deluge of enemy fire bounced harmlessly off his torso. He closed his eyes.

_Finishing this. _Was his only response.

John quickly engulfed the group in a solid ball of blazing green as a blood curdling scream erupted from the Martian. The charging mass of Imperium troopers at once dropped to their knees, the helmetless Officer's raising their hands to their noses in a futile attempt to stem the river of blood pouring from them. A second scream knocked them to their knees and filled their ears with static, the only other sound besides J'onn's anguished cry being the constant _thud_ of collapsing Shock Troopers around them. The drones overhead scurried in perplexing flight patterns before peeling off, noticeable stutters plaguing their retreat as they condescend into a single fog of metal. The League struggled to their feet, just as Diana saw J'onn sway and dip in the air.

Only to come hurtling towards the earth.

"J'onn!" she screamed as she pounced into the air. She deftly caught the Martian in her arms halfway down, a ceaseless trail of thick Martian blood pouring onto her cream tinged arms. She landed on the pavement gently as the League gathered around their comrade.

"Telepathic attack…" he wheezed. "shut…shut down central nervous system…unconscious…safe now…_weak_…" his voice trailed off as the League stared on, concern and grief stricken across their collective faces. Harvey's voice broke the palpable silence.

"…Status report!" he phased in. "Evacuation complete…need status report!"

Hood's fingers reached for his ear. "We're good, but we've got injured. We need a bed prepared at Elsewoods as soon as fucking possible; and make sure we have a doctor that understands alien biology."

"Affirmative." Harvey buzzed, "…get there…soon as possible…over."

Diana's hand brushed against J'onn's face tenderly, her eyes drowning in worry. "Hang in there J'onn, we've got you." She curtly turned towards Flash. "Find me something we can lay him on. _Anything_."

Flash nodded in response. "On it. Hold on Green Man, we're here for you." In a bust of red, he took off into the surrounding area, leaving the group to muse to themselves. Dick lazily kicked the helmet of a collapsed trooper as he turned towards Floyd.

"Where's your rifle?" he asked in a desperate attempt to relax.

"Sorry?" responded Floyd, his hand nervously fumbling with his wrist again.

"You're rifle," Dick repeated, "did he make you leave it behind when he Martian-napped you?"

"Oh…yeah, only the essentials, right?" he responded meekly. Dick chuckled.

"Must be the end times alright, you leaving your rifle behind. You love that thing…"

"Yeah, don't I know it…" he fumbled again with his wrist, his gloved hand tracing over the sleek material of his watch.

"I mean, that's your lucky rifle, right?" Dick continued, throwing his hands into the air. "You never missed with that thing, that's what you said. You could make all kinds of impossible shots, from any distance. Through cover, in a storm…hell I bet you could pick someone off…" he paused, contemplating his next words. A scowl formed on his face. "in a dark alley so far away that no one could hear the shooter…"

Dick's gaze dropped to Floyd's wrist as it groped the watch adorning it. His gloved hand streaked over the hands on its face…

Where he noticed the blinking red light of a tiny, hidden receiver.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Dick pounced onto Floyd Lawton, his hands tightly grasping his throat. He slammed the man's head hard into the pavement as his shredded hands clawed at his eyes.

"You killed Tim you snivelling coward! You sold us out! We just had to fight through hell and the apocalypse because of you, you goddamn traitor!"

In a second, Superman had descended on Dick, his hand tightly grasping Dick's arm to prevent him from pummeling the downed man further. Dick snarled.

"This fuckers been transmitting _everything_! Gordon, Tim, all those good people are dead because of this spineless…"

"That's enough Dick!" shouted Superman, his grip tightening.

"I'm going to kill him! I swear to god!"

Floyd tried to stand as he choked out a response, blood forming at the corner of his mouth.

"He…he has my family…said he'd…oh god I don't know what he would do to them…you gotta believe me, my hands were tied!"

Dick spat in his direction, the glob of saliva striking the bloodied man's forehead. Superman pulled him away as the Flash returned a lock of completely shock plastered across his face. He diligently began securing the unconscious J'onn to a wooden plank as Superman spoke.

"Let it go Dick! We've need to get out of here, fast!"

The resistance leader turned roughly to face the Man of Steel. "We can't let him live, not after all this! He doesn't deserve it!"

Fire erupted from Superman's eyes as he stared Grayson down, his voice seething.

"We do _not _kill! _Any _of us!" he gazed at the stunned League around him, focusing an extra second longer on Hawkgirl. "No matter what, we are not _monsters_! No exceptions, understood?" The faces of the League remained stoic as Superman's onslaught subsided. "We'll leave him behind, but _alive_. No one else has to die here."

Dick stood motionless, his hardened glare boring into the decrepit man in front of him. He violently jerked free from the Man of Steels iron grasp and stormed off past the group, casting a glance over his shoulder.

"The lets go." he hissed, his eyes darting between Superman and the downed Floyd. Wonder Woman and Flash held onto the make-shift stretcher as the group congregated around Green Lantern. A solid green all engulfed them as the Lantern motioned for Red Hood to join.

"G-gotta believe…I did this for my family…" Floyd pleaded weakly towards the passing Hood. The masked man stopped, though his head didn't turn. Sadness and betrayal laced his every word.

"And here I thought I was your family…" he shook his head dejectedly as he stepped into the forming bubble. Seconds later, the group lifted off into the now clear sky, the orange twinge of a rising sun basking them in a luminescent glow. Sanguine dust blew over the ground, as Floyd stared into the sky.

Alone, and forgotten.

…

…

…

The perpetual blackness of his monitor room gave way to the looped scene playing before him, a predatory smile crossing his lips as he reviewed the carnage that just moments ago had gripped the East End of Gotham. He turned towards two sickly figures standing next to him, the shadows cloaking them in the swirling darkness of his domain.

"When will they ever learn, Alfred?" he mused. The two figures nodded in unison, their hollow eyes never leaving the dark silhouette of their master. A metallic groan emanated from the rooms entrance, the wheezing of fleshy joints fighting against silicon bones growing louder as the mass of shadows approached. Without turning his head, the dark figure addressed his servant.

"**They're going to Elsewoods."**

"As you predicted, Master."

"**Don't tell me you had doubts, Luthor?" **he pressed, an ebony gauntlet tightening into a fist next to the cybernetic Luthor's head.

"Not at all sir." the emotionless cyborg responded, his mechanical eyes darting between the monitors and his enigmatic leader.

"**And Grayson was unsurprisingly fuming over our little package being moved?" **

"Yes Master." came his simple response.

A slight chuckle escaped the seated figure, his demonic visage shifting slightly as he turned to look at the cyborg standing next to him.

"**Then I believe Phase Two has already started. Go make your preperations, Luthor." **The authoritative figure commanded.

"Yes Master." his joints groaned as he turned to make his leave, only to be stopped by the piercing baritone of his master.

"**And please bring Mr. Lawton to me alive. I wish to…**_**thank **_**him personally."**

Luthor nodded curtly as he continued to shuffle towards the room's exit. If he possessed any of the emotional qualities of a human being, he would have shuttered uncontrollably at the icy tone his Master used.

In fact, he might have even felt pity…

* * *

**(The Other Side)**

**Once a villain, always a villain I guess, huh? **

**Interestingly this is the first chapter where the events from both universes are happening at the same time. I don't plan on doing that often since I think it can get confusing at times, but meh, I thought it worked here. **

**And yes I did think that the only way to respond to a lovey-dovey scene like the one at the beginning was to have Batman crash his plane into a fort. That's just how I operate. Just because I think the Bruce/Diana romance is the most adorable thing in the entire DC universe doesn't mean that I don't think romance as a whole is for people with souls and/or a positive outlook on life. **

**Of which I have neither...hence "All Star Batman and Robin Part II: The Electric Boogaloo" being a thing...**


	11. Chapter 9: Oculum Pro Oculo

**Well back to "serious" writing I suppose...granted I do enjoy writing this story quite a bit so I'm hardly complaining. Even if it is slowly but surely inflating the middle finger of my right hand with what I'm sure is some sort of early onset arthritis. **

**Meh, work through the pain. **

**Thank you all for your continued support with this story, and I hope you're all having just as much of a blast reading it as I am writing it! Don't forget to leave comments and suggestions if it so suites you fancy. If not, no big deal, but I'm pretty sure a puppy dies every time you don't comment. **

**Science or something. **

**Also this chapter is called "An Eye for and Eye", in case you're wondering...**

* * *

_**Chapter Nine: Oculum Pro Oculo**_

_**LexCorp Facility, Elsewoods County: Earth-861**_

Batman darted down the winding steel corridors of the facility as thick smoke engulfed him in an ebony haze. He flowed with the waving vapour of the fire as though he was a primal force of malevolence, each intimidating step daring the very forces of the universe to stand in his way. The few remaining personal on the upper floors reeled in terror as the hellish apparition of the Dark Knight stalked through the darkened halls like a demonic shadow. Intense fires of determination leaping out of his cowl's cold white slits and permeating every jab and kick he levied, leaving a trail of unconscious bodies in his wake. Those fortunate enough to avoid Batman's indiscriminate fists merely whimpered and sprinted for the nearest exit, hoping that neither the burning inferno nor the menacing vigilante claimed their lives in the process.

An explosive batarang embedded itself in the thick steel of a tightly sealed door, the blood red lettering above it spelling _Subterranean Labs_. Batman lifted his cloak towards his face as the cacophony of explosive decompression and shearing metal echoed through the corridor, red-hot chunks of stainless steel bouncing harmlessly off its protective material.

He vaulted over the deformed railing and tumbled into the subsection below, oscillating beams of red from the facilities blaring alarms providing the only illumination. He spread his cape outward to slow his descent as the ground rapidly approach, only to thrust out his fist into the floor as he landed. The metal warped and whined as he struck, his adrenaline and rage filled mind ignoring the shooting bolt of pain that traveled up his arm.

The chatter of terrified voices beyond the ajar door in front of him negated the need for a thermal imaging scan; instead, Batman deftly pulled out a handful of smoke pellets and another explosive batarang before forcefully kicking the hulking door off its hinges.

The smoke pellets leapt from his gloved hands and blanketed the area in a grey fog, while his explosive batarang found purchase in the chassis of a lumbering security droid situated at the front of the group. Batman vaulted into the air as the towering drone exploded in a shower of sparks before landed directly in the middle of the bewildered guards. His leg shot out into the spine of the nearest soldier, while his gauntlets smashed into the chin of another.

He caught the arm of a flailing guard with one arm and the leg of a second attacker with his other. He jerked the arm hard into the air with a sickening crunch as his now free hand plowed into the knee of the captured leg. Ignoring the cry of pain, he spun his leg into the stunned and now limp-armed soldier while his raised elbow collided with the temple of an aiding guard. Rolling further into the collection of armoured personal, he swung both fists hard into the faceplates of the LexCorp security personal while kicking out his leg into the shin of a third, the bone shattering like a brittle piece of wood. A final sweeping kick launched the last guard hard into the wall, the metal contorting around his unconscious frame, as Batman sprinted further down the lengthy hall, the smoke from his pellets still lingering where the troupe of guards once stood.

Batman growled as a second set of guards materialized in front of a large set of doors, their weapons trained on the charging Dark Knight. His right gauntlet cackled in a neon shade of blue while his arm swept over the trembling soldiers, their bodies soon coated in the sparking wave. The gas chambers of their assault rifles exploded in their hands, leaving the traumatized platoon completely defenseless as the mass of black and grey enveloped them. Their screams echoed throughout the concealed lower level as their limbs failed futility under Batman's relentless assault.

A bloodied and bruised guard desperately attempted to crawl away from the carnage until a bat line snaked around broken left arm. In a blood curdling scream of anguish, the line hauled him back into the air, his useless cartilage tearing from the sheer force of the pull. He soared through the air until he impacted the steel door with a thunderous _crunch_, his form slumping painfully to the floor.

Batman huffed, his intense glare pouring over the pile of unconscious soldiers at his feet. He spotted a control panel jutting out of the adjacent wall, the connecting wires leading back to the otherwise immovable barricade in front of him. He could easily pull out his cryptographic sequencer and decipher the doors activation codes; knowing Luthor's psychological profile, it more than likely would consist of a subtle taunt against the Man of Steel. He could also use his micro laser to sever the connection between the panel and the door's hydraulics, allowing him to quickly hotwire the electronics and unlock the door manually.

Instead, his fist plowed through the panel, his arm bathed in cackling sparks; as the emergency override pried open the doors with an audible groan. The still scowling Batman stepped quickly through the materializing passage…

Into a massive atrium lined with a mountainous assortment of appropriated alien technology, fluid geometries and glimmering elements snaking up every wall. The impact of the spectacle before him flashed by Batman's eyes without so much as a pause as he scoured the lower facility for signs of Brainiac in the forest of alien wares. His agitated form shifted while his ebony cloak enveloped him.

Until his eyes locked on a flickering pale light emanating from the centre of the atrium, a collection of several Thanagarian fighters obscuring its image. The distinct purple and green pattern of Brainiac's technology contrasted with white of LexCrop lab coats and the black of their armoured guard's fatigues.

He fired his grappling gun into the ceiling as he roared towards them, the freshly charged and modified nano-disassembler beam dropping from the petrified scientist's hands. An armoured fist pulverized his nose while another grasped his shaking colleague by his collar. His bulky form was flung into the nearest guard, his assault rifle clattering to the floor in front of the now unconscious third scientists, his yellow stained teeth mixing with the expelled casings of the final guards discharging weapon. A bat line pierced the armour in his chest and latching onto his skin. With a terrified shriek he found himself jerked forward, right into the outstretched arm of the Dark Knight.

The final guard tumbled to the floor unconscious as Batman turned his gaze to the small assault craft in front of him. His scowl grew larger, amplified by his boiling rage.

_They were trying to destroy it…_ _those are fresh scorch marks mixing with the rest of the holes and scratches _we _inflicted on it. I was right…Luthor's willing to sacrifice billions in sales and reverse engineering just to keep the League stranded…_

His nerves wracked his hands in painful protest as he squeezed his gloves together, his teeth grinding uncontrollably as his rage threatened to fully take over. Allowing his cloak to flow over his shoulders as he attempted to calm himself, he glared into the darkened interior, a faint purple hue being the only light present in the craft. His shoulder's sagged as the adrenaline rushing through his system faded behind the crushing wall of fatigue. His eyes stained forward, while his mind churned over the growing realization that he hadn't slept in over 3 days…

Until his gaze was inadvertently diverted to the metal shuriken lodged into the ship's hull mere centimeters from his head…

"Hold it Batman…" commanded a voice behind him, "I'm under direct orders to prevent any living souls from stepping foot in that ship."

The Dark Knight quickly pivoted on his heels to face this new threat, his hands already reaching for the pouches of his utility belt. Batman's eyes narrowed on the orange and black colour scheme materializing out of the shadows as intense rage crashed throughout his body like a bellowing hurricane.

"I'll be sure to dump your corpse in there when I'm done with it though; red and purple will go together splendidly…"

Deathstroke leapt from his vantage point and crashed hard into the ground below, his crouched figure poised to pounce like a rabid panther. Batman could almost feel the aura of smugness and confidence emanating off the assassin, a ploy to hide the thousands of strategic synapses pulsing in and out of existence in his drug enhanced mind.

"**Today is **_**not **_**a good day to push me, Slade….." **growled Batman, anger seething through his clenched jaw and pushing the growing fatigue out from his mind. Slade Wilson rose to his full height as he jabbed his thumb into the air over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I saw your handiwork…not impressed. It wouldn't take a master strategist to notice you were fighting on pure emotion, and you of all people should know how _dangerous _that is…"

Batman's glare hardened as he shifted his cloaked form into a combat ready stance. **"Leave now and I won't put you in traction for the rest of the year. Healing factor or not, I'm more than capable of making you **_**hurt**_**…"**

"Look, I can see that whatever's happening with the League punched you pretty hard below the belt, so why don't you skip the antiquated hero act and just punch me already? You get the first shot…"

The dark form of Batman remained stoic, the only sign of life in the living shadow being the apocalyptic fire shooting out of the bone white slits of his cowl. Deathstroke chuckled.

"No? Well don't say I wasn't being sporting then…"

The assassin leapt towards Batman, his katana brandished and poised to strike the Dark Knights throat. The flurry of his ebony cloak choked out the light around Slade as the detective spun out of the way, his elbow connecting hard with the back of Deathstroke's head as he moved. A batarang launched from his dark gauntlet and struck the katana near its hilt, the blow powerful enough to shatter the blade into a thousand glistening shards. Slade grunted audibly, dropping his destroyed weapon to the floor. A kick snap kick caught Batman in his gut, disorienting him long enough for the Terminator to deliver a haymaker onto his jaw.

Batman's head snapped back as blood spurted from his ripped upper lip. Scowling, he spat a wad of blood onto the steel floor before launching himself into the air. His spinning form managed to connect two powerful kicked to Deathstroke's blocking arms, leaving his abdomen exposed. Batman rammed his fist hard into the assassin's gut as his feet met ground again, while his free hand delivered a vicious uppercut into Deathstroke's throat.

Recovering quickly, Slade blocked Batman's fist as his own jab was deflected by the rough arm of the Dark Knight. Batman grappled onto Deathstroke's armoured lapel with his free hand and hoisted him into the air, the force of the throw enough to send the assassin soaring through the air. Pivoting mid-flight, Slade landed on his feet several metre's away from the still scowling Batman, both combatants tense in their combat stances.

"**Whatever Luthor's paying you Slade, it isn't worth it." **The Dark Knight warned. His gaze darted over the assassin in front of him, his mind churning out all the possible tactical advantages he could exploit from his position. The sturdy wall of fatigue collided hard with Bruce's decades of combat training, his thoughts increasingly becoming muddled.

"Really? The possibility of the entire Justice League being MIA just long enough for my mailbox to overflow with lucrative contracts…I can assure you Batman, it's _more _than worth it." Deathstroke brandished a combat knife from its designated pouch.

"Besides…...if I remember correctly, you and I have a running tally that needs updating. And since I'm still hyped up on adrenaline from kicking the snot out of our mutual friend the KGBeast…I feel like I'm still in a fighting _mood_."

He lunged at Batman again, swinging his combat knife in controlled strokes at the dark detective. Batman's spiked gauntlet collided with Deathstroke's forearm, stopping the whirling blade in the air. He managed to deliver two kicks to the assassin's midsection before the knife dropped from his obstructed grasp, his free hand sweeping around to grab it. The sharpened blade sliced open Batman's Kevlar suit as he pulled away, just as a quick jab from Deathstroke caught him square in the nose. A blinded counter punch sailed over Slade's head as he seized Batman's arm, vaulting him over his shoulder. The Dark Knight landed on his feet; however a powerful kick to his face stunned him long enough to feel his still captured arm twist in the super soldiers grasp.

"Now if you'd just let me keep my sword, I could have sliced your arm off instead of having to yank it out of its socket like I'm doing now…" deadpanned the assassin. Batman grunted in agony as he felt the cartilage give way.

Pushing off from his kneeling position, Batman slammed hard into Deathstroke's midsection, the pressure in his arm being released. He guided them towards the near-by railing and heaved with his legs, the metal warping around Slade's spine as they collided together. Batman's head collided hard with Deathstoke's as he rose, his cape bellowing out behind him as he delivered a series of strikes to the dazed assassin's chest and head.

He connected with one final jab as Deathstroke regained his footing, the Dark Knight using his momentum to flip off the besieged assassin. He brought his foot up in a spinning kick as he flew backwards through the air, the force of the kick catching Slade hard in his jaw. He staggered backwards as Batman landed gracefully back onto the ground.

"You never cease to impress me Batman…but I'm in kind of a bad mood myself…" Deathstroke spat, brandishing a telescopic bo staff from his back. A war cry bellowed from his armoured frame as he charged towards Batman.

Sliding on his knees, he ducked under a sweeping kick from the Dark Knight before taking out his legs with the staff. Rising, he slammed the weapon hard onto the ground where Batman had fallen, the agile detective barely managing to roll out of the way. A quick strike caught Batman on the side of his head, dazing him long enough to remain open to a flying kick delievered by the assassin. Rolling back onto his feet, Batman parried two blows from the staff and blocked a snap kick with his leg before striking Slade on the mask with his fist, the hardened knuckles striking right on the opening of his one good eye. He fired two quick jabs into Slade's arms in an attempt to dislodge the staff from his grasp; however the assassin quickly recovered and blocked the third and fourth strike.

The vulnerable Dark Knight felt his chest nearly cave in as Deathstroke launched a powerful strike. The staff clipped Batman behind the shins, his disoriented form tumbling backwards, just as a kick dug hard into his falling gut. Batman rolled out of the way of Slade's flurry of kicks, only to feel the staff crash hard into his shoulder with a sickening crack. He feebly held up his forearm to block an incoming strike, only to topple over again as a roundhouse kick connected with the side of his undefended head.

The super-powered strike sent the dazed Batman skidding across the floor, a crippling wave of vertigo forcing him to his knees. Exhaustion fully set in as his chest heaved, beads of sweat pooling inside his mask. Deathstroke laughed as he circled the fallen Dark Knight, his visage reminiscent of a lion circling its crippled prey.

"Honestly, not your best effort." he mocked. His staff dragged on the ground behind him, sparks flying from its path. "I understand you're probably running on empty right now, but I don't think you even managed to bruise me…"

He approached the convalescing Batman and knelt beside him, his hand roughly grabbing the Caped Crusader by his armoured cowl. Even through his one-eyed mask, Batman could hear the sneer spread across Slade's face.

"Then again…I _am _a super-soldier. Gives me a bit of an edge, I admit." He looked into Batman's dejected eyes with his own, the energy dancing in his pupils serving to further mock the fallen vigilante. "Maybe if I was in your position, I could have saved the League, huh? Fought a little harder, stayed on my feet a little longer…maybe I wouldn't by lying here like a pathetic failure just begging to have my skull caved in. You though…you're skilled beyond belief, don't get me wrong, but you're just skin, bone and Kevlar. You're playing with gods, little man. Does it really surprise you that everything went south on your watch?"

A look of glee illuminated his eye as he pulled Batman's face closer. "Hey, you and Wonder Woman were a thing, weren't you? Man…that has to sting a little…"

The lifeless eyes of the Dark Knight shone anew with the fiery brimstone of rage. His unshaven face contorted in a look of pure rage, while a deep growl escaped from Batman's throat. His muscle's tensed, but before Slade could do anything, the growl morphed into a piercing roar. Batman's head crashed against Deathstroke's staggering him backwards. As he regained his footing, he saw darkness envelope his opponent as his torn cloak bellowed behind him. For a fleeting second, a pang of fear ran through the assassin's body.

He swung his staff in a wide arc, aiming for Batman's head. The Dark Knight's hand shot up quickly to catch it however, and a surge of surprising strength ripped the weapon from Deathstroke's grasp. Batman shifted his weight as he brought the captured staff around for a strike of his own, his roar increasing in volume as he swung. The bo connected with Deathstroke's armoured shin with such force that it shattered on impact, a howl of pain escaping Slade's lips as he crumpled under the collision.

A roar of anger replaced the cry of pain as the agitated assassin leapt towards Batman. A quick jab sailed towards the detective's head, only to have the wrist caught in his iron clasp. A powerful strike to Deathstroke's head knocked the assassin back, while Batman's recoiled hand plowed into the exposed elbow of Slade's captured arm. The sound of crunching bone's echoed through the facility as Slade felt his arm go completely numb. He barely had time to register the creeping pain when a flying roundhouse kick struck him in the side, a trio of ribs breaking in the process.

Batman bellowed in anger again as the assassin retreated several steps backwards, the armoured super soldier reeling from the sudden onslaught. He had little time to raise his defenses as a flurry of precision jabs pounded into his armour and flesh, bruising muscle and cracking bone. His good forearm feebly deflected a distracting blow as Batman's knee dug into his abdomen, another barrage of punches raining down onto the besieged assassin as his blocking arm was effortlessly thrown to the side. Batman dodged a desperate kick and retaliated with a powerful strike to Deathstroke's already bruised shin, following up with an open palmed strike right to Slade's heaving chest.

Slade flew backwards, only to be jerked to a halt as Batman clasped onto his armour. His fist snaked out and connected with Slade's damaged shoulder, a new wave of pain shooting through his body. Another elbow mashed into his face, leaving him just dazed enough to remain unaware that Batman had hurled him head over heels into a near-by railing. He ground to a complete stop as he felt familiar metal press against his bruised spine.

Slade gazed ahead, terrified, as Batman crept closer, his ebony cloak enveloping him in malicious blackness. Fire leapt from his eyes and burrowed into Deathstroke's soul, as the veteran assassin found himself quivering in front of the infernal shape before him. He no longer looked like a man of flesh and blood; instead his visage screamed like a living shadow, threatening to drag Slade into the terrifying oblivion that surrounded him.

His good hand darted to his bandolier, desperately fumbling for his service pistol as his eyes remained trained on the approaching Batman. A batarang pierced the blackness and embedded itself into Slade's hand, blood mixing with torn orange armour. Batman's face smouldered with an intensity that he Deathstroke never seen before and every step he took seemed to melt the floor around him in fiery rage.

Slade almost felt the urge to pray.

In one last act of desperation, he lowered his shoulder and charged towards the Dark Knight, his one proud scream reduced to a frantic plea. He was still staring at the passing ground when Batman's spinning roundhouse kick connected with his face, the force of the blast powerful enough to shatter his mask into a cloud of orange, black and red.

Deathstroke dropped to the ground, the super soldier serum running through his blood being the only thing that granted him consciousness.

Batman stalked towards the entrance of Brainiac's assault ship, his cape listing over the decrepit body of Deathstroke the Terminator as he passed. Batman entered the ship, his shoulders lowered from their inhumanely upright position as his face softened slightly, the weariness of exhaustion creeping back onto his face. Gliding through the halls of the ship, he stopped in front of a familiar box, its alien patterns glowing brightly in the dim light. His gloved hand shot up to his ear.

"Alfred, I see it. Have the cave prepped and ready for when I get back. I'm going to need to start working immediately if I stand any chance of getting them back."

"_Need I remind you Master Bruce that in order to tinker with anything this advanced, you'll need to have all your wits about you? Something that quite impossible when you have only slept sporadically for the better part of a week."_

"Alfred…" he began to protest, exhaustion already wearing down Batman's stubbornness.

"_You'll have to forgive me for being so bold sir, but if you wish to avoid an outcome similar to last time, anything short of 8 hours bed rest will do nothing but court disaster."_

Batman sighed, his shoulders slumping further. "Five hours. That's all I'm willing to spare."

It was Alfred's turn to sigh.

"_Very good sir, I'll ensure everything is ready for your impending arrival. That _includes _you bed."_

"I'll sleep in the cave." came his curt reply. Glancing one last time at the device that he had gone through hell to retrieve, he quickly bounded back towards the ships exit. By the time he reached the moaning Deathstroke, his demonic visage of anger had returned. Slade crawled backwards desperately as the moving darkness settled near him.

"I-I can't give you any information, you know that. *cough*. I'm just the hired gun, honest…"

"**I don't need information." **Batman boomed in response. Slade cringed as the Dark Knight drew nearer.

"T-then…what do you want?"

"**To send a message." **

Before Slade could react, Batman's gloved hand emerged from beneath his cloak, brandishing a small silver device. Bending down, he roughly grabbed Slade's left arm and forcefully jerked it up into the air. The device gleamed with a fiery crimson, until a smouldering beam leapt from the device's end. Slade's lone eye lit up in terror.

"WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU…"

The condensed beam sliced through the flesh and armour surrounding Slade's wrist, the intense heat immediately cauterizing the wound. Deathstroke screamed in agony as his severed hand tumbled to the ground. He stared at Batman with a pleading eye as a dark rumbled echoed from his towering form.

"**If Luthor or anyone else so much as casts a shadow around me, they can expect worse. **_**Much **_**worse. Do I make myself **_**clear**_**?"**

Without waiting to hear his response, Batman disappeared back into the ship, leaving the traumatized Deathstroke the Terminator to crawl, howling in agony towards the nearest exit of the facility. He glanced over his shoulder with one last fleeting look, catching a glimpse of his smoking hand, before dragging himself to his feet.

With his eye glazed over in terror, he limped his way into the inferno above, welcoming it as an escape from the lunatic he had just fought.

* * *

**I thought the title was pretty appropriate, though it seems like Deathstroke is con his way to being a pirate if he keeps on losing body parts. **

**Though I'm sure you make just as much money as a pirate as you do as an assassin, so really, he can't be missing much, right? **

**Well other than the joys of having working hands, but I am trying to keep this story "T' rated, so lets stop padding out the word count and just say "thank you for reading", shall we author? **

**Oh god I'm talking to myself again...**


	12. Chapter 10: Amicos Fractis Imponant

**And we're back! Sort of...didn't really leave after all. **

**My bat-apologies for the delay in this story's regular update schedule; just got a wee bit sidetracked over the last little passage of timey wimey uh...thingd. Also, I was in a bit too comedic of a mood, so I needed to read several issues of the Superman/Wonder Woman comic to depress me to a sufficient amount (zing!) in order to keep the tone consistent. **

**Anyways, here be the next chapter of "Reign Of Terror" (echo echo echo...), hopefully you guys enjoy it!**

**As always, thanks again for all the views, reviews, favorites, follows and virgin sacrifices! I greatly appreciate every single one of them! (Though would it kill you guys to find a virgin with a little less hair? Not to sound bitter or anything but...)**

**Oh, and DC comics still owns all of this. Again, not the plot, but if we're going to start taking people to court over alternate-universe plotlines, then Gardner Fox is the first person who should be hauled in front of a jury...**

**Except for the whole "being dead" part...**

**And I'll give a shout out to another dead comic book creator by saying that Batman was 90-95% created by Bill Finger while Bob Kane road his bat-coat tails all the way to the bat-bank *shakes fist at the lack of exposure for comic book writers that aren't Alan Moore* **

* * *

_**Chapter Ten: Amicos Fractis Imponant**_

_**Abandoned Facility, Elsewoods County: Earth-1793**_

Tension permeated the entire, lengthy trip into Elsewoods, every member of the League deathly silent save for the pained moans of J'onn J'onzz. The last attempts at conversation died out several miles back when their flight path took them near the skyline of Bludhaven, their original destination. Red Hood informed them that several thousand refugees had escaped there under a last ditch effort by James Gordon, to the last major stronghold the resistance held.

Or, _had _held, as they soon found out.

Bludhaven was little more than a smouldering crater now, lisping skyscrapers fading into dust as their blasted structures crumpled into the molten streets. Thick smoke choked out the crimson sky as infernos raged throughout the ruins, casting a sickening glow onto the rippling waters that surrounded its bay. The group bore witness to another missile slamming into the last remaining pocket of the city, crushing their spirit just as thoroughly as the ground near the impact.

Their faces remained neutral in a desperate attempt to ignore the stingingly low morale holding sway over them, now acutely aware of how vicious and unrelenting Batman's sweeping extermination could be. Red Hood seemed the most solemn, even going so far as to refuse medical attention until Diana forcefully patched his gushing wounds. Dick only swore; about Batman, about Floyd. Most audibly, he cursed the League.

The trees passed quickly below them, their skeletal brown stumps reaching towards the League like decrepit fingers. Flakes of ash fluttered to the barren ground, covering the dead forests in almost a mocking shade of ebony. Like Batman was signalling how far his iron fist stretched over the land…

It hardly helped their mood.

The silhouette of the facility jutted out of the forest of brown, the scorched rolling hills barely concealing its rusty spires. A foreboding feeling pricked at the back of Diana's psyche as she neared, the creaking of its aged metal sounding almost like a sinister cackle. A small tremor rippled through her arm, causing her dangling passenger to raise his brow towards her.

"You alright Diana?"

"Fine, Wally." she replied, eyes focused ahead. "Just…had a funny feeling is all."

"Alright, well if you're going to drop me, at least give me a heads up so I can break my legs instead of my tailbone…"

A small smile formed on her lips, though she remained silent. Flash directed his gaze back to the ground as a frown crept onto his face.

_I'd say something about a 'tough crowd' if I wasn't living out a nightmare….._he mused internally, his own weary eyes focusing on the deadwood below. The dry wind that slapped at his face died down as they descended, the main entrance of the facility coming into view. A set of Resistance fighters, two of which were adorned in a red cross, stood stoically in front of the metal doors, their eyes tracing the approaching group. Dick and Superman reached them first, both sporting equally grim looks.

"He's been hurt." Superman stated bluntly, pointing back towards J'onn's battered form encased in Green Lantern's construct. "He covered out escape with a massive telepathic attack; there could be hemorrhaging around his frontal lobe."

The medics glanced at each other timidly, unsure of how to proceed. Dick nodded towards them curtly, a scowl still plastered on his face. Understanding the silent cue, one of the medics pulled out a stretcher and rushed towards the Martian, signalling for a contingent of soldiers to follow him. The second medic approached Superman.

"We'll take good care of him, don't worry. We managed to salvage most of our medical supplies from the Gotham base; that should be enough to keep him stable."

His reassuring tone did little to sedate the still grim Superman as he turned towards the League, his eyes darting between Green Lantern and Hawkgirl.

"Shayera, John, I want you to go with them, keep an eye out in case they need anything."

Hawkgirl scowled in protest. "But…"

"That's an _order_ Hawkgirl."

John placed his hand firmly on her shoulder, his glowing eyes staring forcefully into hers. "We'll go, Superman. We'll be there for J'onn…"

Shayera growled as she forcefully ripped away from Lantern's grasp, muttering a Thanagarian curse as she pushed past the surrounding resistance fighters. Lantern glanced back at Flash and Diana, their eyes hidden, before taking off after the steaming warrior.

Dick ignored the commotion as he stepped in front of one of the guards, getting a crisp salute in response. His tone was commanding, annoyance dripping from every word.

"Status report?"

"All civilians and soldiers successfully evacuated sir. Commander Gordon is preparing to reconnect our surveillance software as we speak."

"Where is she?"

"Sub-level one sir, in what looks like the mainframe for the complex. Would you like me to take you there?"

"Negative." Dick responded curtly, pushing past the guard. "Just let her know I'm coming."

"Understood sir." Another crisp salute. Diana stepped forward, trepidation lining her tone.

"Where do you want us, Dick?"

"I don't give a damn where you go…" he snarled, still marching away from the group at great speed. Diana could see Superman's fists clench in seething anger as the resistance leader disappeared into the shadows, her own pent-up frustration threatening to boil over as well. She inhaled deeply as Red Hood walked beside her, his voice low and raspy.

"It would be good if you came. I'm sure you want to hear what updates Barbara has."

His shoulders were slumped while his head hung low to the ground, his entire posture remorsefully in its features. A pang of pity rang through her body as he too trudged into the facilities open doors. Superman briskly followed suit, tailed by the Flash, leaving Wonder Woman and the lone remaining guard outside the decaying facility.

She glanced up again at the streaking towers and grit filled walls as the wind howled around her, another feeling of malevolence wracking her frame. Shaking her head, she walked towards the shaded entrance as a thick blanket of darkness engulfed her, growing all the more intense as the shrill creaking of the closing doors echoed behind her.

…

…

…

The door to the subterranean level creaked open with pained groan, the tattered hydrolics straining against the erosion of time. Hood led the group in, a slight breeze lifting dust and grime into their noses.

The large atrium that sprawled in front of them was barren, empty walls complete with strips of grey paint peeling off to reveal the cracked metal underneath. Hooks and chains dangled from the ceiling, the slight draft rattling them in an eerie metallic chime. The massive room looked as though it was used to store massive machinery as the floor dipped dramatically into the ground, dragging them further into the earth. The gracefully descended the stairs, eyes pouring over their surroundings.

Resistance soldiers bustled around them like drones, each one carrying several slabs of equipment. A make-shift command centre was being erected in the middle of the atrium, the flickering hue of a cracked computer monitor pouring into the otherwise empty area. A scowling Dick sat with Barbara, he hands furiously flying over the keyboard.

"I was wrong…" Barbara stated plainly, her typing ceasing as the groups footsteps approached. "This facility was just for chemical manufacturing, nothing military related. Our already crumbling infrastructure just took another serious hit…"

"But we made it out alive…" interrupted Diana gently, "isn't that what matters most?"

"Not even close." Spat Dick, drawing another tense glare from the Man of Steel.

"It'll take us a while to get our communications array back online, and we won't have nearly the same range as we did in Gotham or Bludhaven, but we should still be able to see what's going on around the facility fairly well…well enough at least." She snapped her fingers as an idea dawned on her. "We could send a strike team into Bludhaven to recover some of our stashed equipment. Batman's probably not…"

"It's gone, Babs…he flattened it." Dick stated, emotionless both in tone and looks. "There was nothing left of it when we flew past."

Barbara's hand trembled slightly as she reached to remove her glasses, her face contorted in shock. "My god…how…how many refugees were…"

"It doesn't matter…"

Superman bounded towards Dick, his face burning with indignation. "How can you say it doesn't matter?! People are dead, Dick! Do you care so _little _about the people you're expected to protect…"

"Wanna watch your tone _fly-boy_?" Dick spat, meeting Superman's anger with his own livid sneer. "In case you haven't noticed, the last thing you'd want to be in this world is a _survivor_! The lucky ones have been dead for decades!"

"So that's it? You're giving up hope!? Just caving in while you run from a mad-man like some injured _animal_? Like a _coward_?!"

"Easy to call me an _animal _and a _coward_ when you've got invulnerability, isn't it?"

"The Dick I know would _never_…"

"I'm _nothing_ like the Dick you know, when the _fuck _are you going to get that through your thick skull?" he slammed his fist into the near-by table before thrusting his face closer towards Superman's, the heat from their exchange singeing the air around them. "You guys don't _belong _here! The way you do things where ever you come from, this delusional 'truth, justice and the heroic way' _bullshit..._ it _doesn't _work here! We should know, we've tried already! We've tried _everything_! And all that happened was Tim got a bullet in his brain and Jim got _skinned alive_!"

"ENOUGH!" screamed Barbara, her voice echoing sharply through the atrium. "Both of you clamp it right _fucking _now!"

The still seething men turned towards her, each sporting a nearly identical scowl. Barbara continued forcefully.

"Are you two so pig-headed that you don't realize we're it? Bludhaven's gone, that means that the resistance and everything it stands for starts and ends with us. _Humanity_ starts and ends with us. And like it or not, Dick, that _includes_ the Justice League." She paused before collecting herself.

"We made a promise to the dead that we wouldn't stop until either we were free of Batman's shadow, or we were dead. _Everyone _else here made that very same promise. So all we're doing when we stand here trading blows against each other is make their deaths all the more meaningless…and you know what? That's exactly what Batman wants."

She trudged closer to Dick and forcefully placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not about to do that to Dad…Batman took enough away from him already…"

Dick pulled out of her grasp and growled, his piercing gaze shifting between her and the Man of Steel. Scowling, he stormed past them, heading for the exit as he called back to Barbara.

"I don't care what we do next, but we're _done _with them." He seethed, pointing towards the League. "No matter what you delude yourself into thinking Barbara, they'll _never _be a part of this. Not again…" He turned sharply to Red Hood. "Jack, you're coming with me. We're going to find Harvey and start doing roll-call."

Red Hood shook his head slowly. "Look, Dick…I think we should…"

"Oh for Christ sake!" exclaimed Dick, throwing his hands into the air. "Just make yourself goddamn _useful _then!"

With that, he stormed out of the atrium, leaving the group behind him. Dejected, Red Hood, shuffled off into the darkness, still shaking his head. Superman turned to Barbara, still seething.

"We can't just pretend that the innocent bystanders out there mean _nothing_!"

"No, Dick's right. Everyone here is part of a war now. You're either fighting on our side, or fighting on _his_. There are no bystanders anymore…"

"You can't be serious…"

Barbara's visage remained unchanged, though her eyes were filled with remorse. "We need to think tactically…right now, the only thing that matters is trying to strike as many blows against Batman as possible. We don't have the time or the resources to worry about anyone who isn't already working with us."

"So we just leave them ripe for the slaughter…" Superman spat, disgust dripping from his voice.

"I know you don't like to hear this, but…"

"I don't believe this; we're supposed to be _heroes_!"

Diana placed her hand gently on his shoulder, her calming voice attempting to break through the veil of anger surrounding him.

"Superman please…all we need to do is take a second to re-evaluate…"

"GET OFF ME!" He screamed, violently wrenching his shoulder from her grasp, causing her to stumble backwards. Without so much as a cursory glance, he stormed off into the facility, his red cape billowing behind him menacingly. Diana sighed, shaking her head sadly as she watched him leave, feeling the Flash rush next to her to make sure she was alright. Barbara's voice cut through the silence.

"Get some rest you guys…I'll…I'll let you know if anything comes up…"

She swivelled in her chair, now facing the computer screen, as Flash and Wonder Woman glanced at one another, sadness strewn across their faces. Wally sighed heavily.

_I was wrong…this isn't a nightmare….this is hell…_

…

…

…

Diana leaned heavily on the cold brick wall behind her, her eyes low to the floor. Wally sat next to her, eyes closed as he attempted to block out the world around him. She sighed as a crash rocked the room around her, a disgruntled cry echoing from the hallway in front of her. She gazed upwards, frowning as the dejected form of Superman yanked his fist from the newly formed crater in the wall.

Even in the direst of circumstances, Superman would remain consummate and professional, offering to help in with any task in any way in an effort to boast moral and ensure the fighting spirit they would need never died down. He was their rally point, the immovable object on which they could all comfortably rest on as the torrents of conflict flowed around them.

But she could tell that here, he felt nothing but helplessness. Stone-walled by the resistance, hunted by Batman, feared by those he sought to protect for reasons none of them could discern. Worst of all, he was being forced to abandon scores of helpless innocents just so that the few who took up arms against Batman's rampage could survive.

It pained her to see him reduced to this.

She saw the Flash shuffle to his feet as he groan, favoring a still sore shoulder. He glanced at the fuming Man of Steel before turning towards Diana.

"Must be hard you know…being a messiah and finding out you can't save everyone…"

Sighing, Diana crossed her arms over her chest, still staring at Superman. "I don't blame him…I'm just as frustrated. But I _know _there's another way, there's _always _that one, obscure option that can completely turn the tide of the fight…so long as you're in the right state of mind to find it…"

"I kinda like that…has a nice ring to it…"

Diana smiled. "Batman's taught me a lot over the years…"

Wally's eyebrow quirked upwards, his gaze redirected towards Wonder Woman. "Yeah…Superman's not the one I'm really worried about though…"

Diana caught on immediately. "I'm fine, Flash."

"Are you though? I can see it in your movements; every time someone mentions his name, you tense up. Every time you wistfully staring into the distance, I know you're thinking about him. And punching out hoards of faceless mooks who chant his name like's he's the Generalissimo…"

"I'm not the only one who loves him, Wally…"

"I know, I know…I'm sure we all secretly love Batman…" he paused, noticing Diana's unnerving and humourless glare remained. "But you know just as well as I do that what you guys had…_have_…it's something special. Not even Clark and Lois have what you guys have…"

"Lois…" Diana chuckled… "Kal must be tearing his heart apart without her…"

"I would imagine…which is why I'm worried about you. Main difference being that he doesn't have to fight against her…"

"We're _not _fighting against Batman!" she angrily interrupted, her fiery gaze burrowing into his. "Whoever we're fighting, _whatever _we're fighting…it's _not _Batman. It's a sick perversion…"

"Is it?"

"Of course it is! He may have been Bruce at one point, but he stopped being the Batman we know the moment he crossed the line! He'd say the same thing himself! And even though we're in a different universe with different rules, we'll _stop _him, just like we would with any other villain. We owe it to the people who've suffered here, and we owe it to Bruce. The _real _Bruce…"

Wally smiled warmly, lightly tapping her on her bare arm. "You know who'd really like to hear that?"

Diana's anger gave way to confusion as she stared at the Scarlet Speedster, her brow furrowed. Suddenly, it dawned on her, causing a smile to creep onto her lips. "I never knew you could be so manipulative…"

Wally shrugged. "He needs to hear it from you…not that I'm unconcerned for you or anything but…"

"You're afraid he'd pound you into the pavement?"

A light chuckle escaped his lips. "A little, but c'mon Diana, you know you're the emotional anchor of the team. You keep us grounded, tie our emotions down, remind us to take a step back and make sure we're all at our best before leaping forward. You're our guard against the invisible things that should have destroyed us years ago…and you'd have to be pretty damn good at it to bring out the best of someone like tall, dark and growly."

Diana chuckled as well, lightly tapping Wally on his shoulder. "You're not so bad yourself, Wally."

"N'ah, I'm just the Court Jester…but sometimes that's enough."

His smile remained as she walked past him, towards the hunched over figure of Superman. He took off slowly down the hall to give them some privacy as Diana entered the shadows surrounding the Man of Steel.

"I can't believe they expect me to just abandon people…" he lamented, turning slightly as Diana approached him. "After everything these people have gone through, the fear they have to live in every single day, their _one _and only hope is just letting the gunman pull the trigger…" he sighed before letting out an exasperated chuckle.

"Real crapsack kind of world if even the 'heroes' have to resort to putting bullets in people's brains…"

"Kal…"

"What's the point, Diana? If Dick is as good as this world can possibly get, then what the _hell _is the point!?"

She gently wrapped her arms around his neck, lightly patting his back. She spoke softly, keeping a sympathetic expression on her face.

"Kal…_Superman_, you can't give up hope."

"And why not?" he snapped, pulling away from her. "You saw it yourself Diana; there's _millions _of these 'Imperium" soldiers in Gotham alone! He's using hostages as fighters! He's weaponized the _atmosphere_! We're trapped on this planet, with no way home, fighting a battle that we can't possibly win!"

"You don't know that Kal…"

"I do, Diana, I absolutely do! Look around you; Barbara said it herself, this is as far as humanity goes on this god-forsaken planet! Everyone else is either in the thralls of a murdering tyrant or they're _completely _complacent. And why shouldn't they be? It's the only way they can delude themselves enough to avoid realizing that their heads are in the crosshair and the shooter has his finger on the trigger. We've _already _lost, and I don't know about you, but the concept of a superhero is pretty moot if the bad guys have already won…"

Diana sighed, her eyes closed as Superman turned around again in a huff. A small smirk crawled onto her lips as she looked into the brick ceiling.

"Remember Starro?"

Superman turned incredulously, his brow quirked. "What about him?"

"You remember how the entire Justice League fell to him? One by one he got us all, put us under his mind control, and set us loose on the world…"

"Yeah…I remember…"

"So you remember it being pretty bleak then too, right? Just a bunch of mortal men and women standing up to gods like us?"

"I don't see…"

Diana raised her hand, interrupting him. "By all accounts, that should have been it for the human race, right? The most powerful individuals on the planet, under the thrall of an intergalactic monster, laying waste to every town, every city…you could say that the battle was already lost for them. There's no way they could stand up to us, not when we we're willing to unleash our full power against them. We could flatten an entire city block with a single punch…"

"I _remember _what I did to Metropolis, Diana…"

"And yet, it's still standing. The human race still exists. And the Justice League is still the first, and last, defense for the planet. You know why?"

Superman shot her another curious look.

"They had hope. They didn't give up, not for a single second, because deep down they believed in themselves. And because of that, they held out long enough to find a way to beat the unbeatable Justice League…"

Superman frowned. "No…_he_ found a way to beat us. The one man capable of everything. And in this world, he's the one pulling the strings…"

Diana sighed. "Does that really make a difference?"

"Of course it does!" he rose to his full, towering height, rage again permeating his features. "We're fighting _Batman_! Surely you're not so _blind _to the fact that…"

"I _know _what's going on, Kal." She interrupted, a piercing scowl forming on her face. "I've seen the same things as you."

Superman backed away remorsefully. His hurt eyes stared into hers. "Diana, I-I'm sorry. That was…"

"It doesn't matter," she interrupted, "the point is, I'm well aware of who we're fighting. And it _isn't _Batman. Not _our _Batman. Whatever he once was…he's just a wraith walking around in his stolen clothing now. And that means he's just like any other villain."

"Superstitious and cowardly…" Clark murmured, his face lightening up slightly.

"And more than beatable." She smiled in return.

"How can you be sure, though?"

"I can't…" she stated flatly, shaking her head, "but don't we owe it to Bruce to at least _try_ to? Not only to win, but to reclaim the name 'Batman' for what it really is? The mantel of the bravest, most selfless person we know?"

Clark rubbed his jaw, skepticism still strewn across his features. Diana placed her hand on his shoulder again.

"I'll tell you what I do know. He's out there, in our universe, looking for a way to get us back. I can _feel _it; he's searching for us, which is why we can't give up."

Superman chuckled. "You feel it huh?"

"Of course I do. You and I both know he'd never survive without me." She laughed as she sauntered her hips. "And I'm sure he's got Lois breathing down his neck too."

Superman's laugh grew in volume as he shook his head. His eyes met Diana's, reinvigorated.

"Thank you…I needed that."

"Any time Kal, it's what friends are for."

"Bruce is a lucky guy."

"I don't know, I can be a real bitch sometimes."

"Wash your mouth out with soap!" Superman exclaimed, nearly doubling over in laughter. Diana motioned for them to step out from the shadowy corner they were standing in.

"Come on boy-scout, we've got work to do."

"Oh great, he got to you too…" Superman groaned, tailing the Amazon as she walked. The sound of shoes pounding into the cracked and dusty floor diverted their gaze behind them, craning their necks in an attempt to see. Harvey Dent came bounding down the hallway, a look of urgency on his face.

"Barbara asked for you guys. She says she found something that might interest you…"

Superman took off running, following the former DA. He glanced behind him, noticing that Diana remained rooted in place. His brow furrowed.

"Diana, you coming?"

"In a minute…" she replied, confusion plastered on her features as she glanced around at the hallway. "I just…need to see something first."

His brow still quirked, Superman nodded, leaving Diana to wander further into the facility as curiosity guided her every step.

…

…

…

Shayera dabbed a moist cloth onto J'onn's pained face, allowing the cool water to flow over his forehead. He fluttered in and out of consciousness, in itself a worrying sign. His eyes when he woke, however, rattled Hawkgirl to her core. Piercing red and orange would fill his gaze, screaming not in physical pain, but from some anguished cry of the mental realm he was connected too.

It unnerved her to know end, especially in light of the traumatic events they had born witness too since they arrived on this parallel earth.

She glanced at the medics surrounding her and the Martian, trepidation emanating from their weary forms. She scowled, feeling agitated at the amount of people congealing around her.

"You can leave; we don't need your help right now…"

The medics glanced at each other. The shorter of the two stuttered as he replied. "W-we're under direct orders too…"

"NOW!" she screeched, jolting the two resistance members back in shock. They grabbed their note pads and several vials of J'onn's blood before bolting out of the room, not so much as glancing backwards as they left. John shook his head as he approached Hawkgirl's side.

"Let's not start another way, shall we?"

She growled, applying another damp cloth to J'onn's body. Her eyes remained focused on the Martian as she spoke.

"Superman's wrong, you know?"

"Well I don't think clairvoyance is one of his listed super-powers…" Lantern deadpanned, desperately attempting to lighten the mood. Hawkgirl was unimpressed, rebuffing him with a fiery glare.

"Do you _really _think now is the time for jokes?"

"Well it sure as hell beats going off like a canon every waking minute!" he shot back, his patience completely shattered.

"Oh, you have _no _right to snip at me, not when you left me hanging out to dry back there!"

John squinted in a mixture of confusion and anger. "'Left you to dry'? I'm pretty damn sure I covered you perfectly fine back in Gotham…"

"I'm talking about Boy-Scout and his 'no killing rule'! You didn't even _try _to back me up!"

John stepped back in shock, the words striking him hard. "And what makes you think I _would _back you up? Just because we're engaged doesn't mean…"

"No you thick-headed idiot, that's not what I'm implying at all…" she sighed, stepping away from the injured Martian. "You're _military_, John. You should be willing to do _anything _to see the mission through."

"I'm well aware of what a military background implies, Shayera." He shot back, annoyance creeping into his tone.

"Then you should be well aware that this fight is completely hopeless unless we start thinning their numbers! There's absolutely no way we can protect all those people if they're surrounded on all sides by people willing to blow their heads off! Hell we can't even engage them in the air now! Batman has _complete _air superiority! We _can't_ win like this!"

"I can think of _several _tactical options that don't involve killing…" he responded defiantly, his arms crossing over his chest.

"And what's the collateral damage look like in these plans, huh? How many civilians get killed while we try to wrestle hand-cuffs onto these guys? If we're going to help these people…"

"We _are _Shayera…"

"Then why aren't you willing to put aside that rule just _once?_! For a beyond extreme situation!"

"BECAUSE IT'S NOT MY CALL TO MAKE!" he screamed, startling Hawkgirl slightly. She stared at him confused as he continued.

"It's not my call…you're military too, Shayera, so you should know that unit cohesion is the only way _anyone _stays out of a body bag. And insubordination is the quickest way to destroy a platoon's chance of _surviving_, let alone _succeeding_, by a significant margin. It's Superman's call, and I'll follow his orders because that's the only way we're going to help these people; by sticking together, and following a plan. Anything else is just pure chaos."

Hawkgirl paused, rubbing her chin as she mauled the words over in her head. She glanced at Lantern softly, her eyes searching for honesty in his response.

"You don't disagree with me though, do you?"

He sighed, his shoulders slouching. "No, I don't. But…"

"I know," she finished, "it's not your call…"

It was her turn to sigh as her gaze fell towards J'onn's battered body. She held her arms as a shudder rippled through her frame.

"This world's a complete and fucking…"

"Yes, it is. And it'll only get worse if we start fracturing from the inside…"

"Easier said than done…" she sighed, resigned. "If that's the…oh..." her voice hushed as her gaze darted past John's shoulder. "...speak of the Devil…"

Lantern turned towards the door to see Superman's form staring at them. His face was completely neutral, unnervingly so.

"How much did you…" Lantern began to ask.

"Doesn't matter." He interrupted, his face still stoic. "Barbara says she has something, so I'm rounding everyone up to meet with her. You guys coming?"

"Is that an order?" Hawkgirl murmured, sarcasm dripping from every word. Superman remained unfazed.

"Stay or go, I don't care. But if we all want to help as many people as we can, then we should at least hear what she has to say." He remorsefully glanced at J'onn's unconscious form, his chest heaving up and down painfully. "…I trust the doctors here enough to watch over him."

Hawkgirl and Green Lantern stared at each other wordlessly. They sighed in unison as they trudged to the door, Hawkgirl glancing one last time at the injured Martian as she left…

…

…

…

Diana gripped the cold steel of the railing with increasing strength, the rusted and blackened rods warping in her grasp. A throbbing feeling pulsated through her very essence as she stared at the empty chemical vats in front of her. Dread spread over her like pricking thorns as she stared into the shadowy ceiling, her eyes closed in an attempt to block out her surroundings…

…only to whirl around at the sound of heavy boots clanking against the metallic platform. She stared at Red Hood as he approached her timidly, his hands shoved into the pockets of his trench coat.

"Everything alright?" he asked, stopping to lean on a separate section of railing, his eyes now trained to the empty vats as well.

"I have this…_feeling _that I just can't shake…" she replied, surprised at her own admission. "It's like the gods are trying to tell me something about this place, like it holds something dark…but its muddled…"

"Do you really think your gods are still up there after all this?"

"I don't think Batman killed them, if that's what you're asking…" she chuckled, only to stop abruptly as she realized Hood stood unmoving. He had been serious in his question, she realized, the rough and sarcastic man she had met before no longer present.

"What about you? You seem…"

"Different?" he finished, now glancing at her through emotionless white slits.

"I suppose…it's not surprising given what's transpired today…"

He sighed, shaking his head. "It's a defense mechanism…"

Diana arched her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Most of my life, I've been thrown around like disposable garbage…beaten on like a disobedient horse…life just _loves_ to throw curveballs at me…and hit me in the face while it's doing it…"

He pushed off the railing and turned to face Wonder Woman, his voice still neutral. "So, I change my personality whenever it suits me. So I can adapt to the environment around me. Helps me remain somewhat grounded in reality…with everything that's happened to me over the years…getting to start fresh seems to help throw off some otherwise debilitating baggage. I've had a lot of bad days…it helps to pretend most of them never happened."

He coughed as he rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze directed back to the floor. "The last little bit I've tried to be the tough-as-nails, vigilante kind of person, the guy who will kick your ass without so much as a second thought. But after what Floyd did…I just don't see the point in coping. I'm not ready to through in the towel, but I'm done pretending that everything is going to be alright…"

He glanced back a Diana, his voice low and filled with sorrow. "I feel kinda empty right now, to be honest…"

Diana was unsure of what to do. Her inner self screamed to console him, but she had no idea how, or whether that would simply hurt him more. He was an unknown, a complete blank-slate that she hadn't encountered before. Perhaps except once…

"What's he like? Your Batman? Minus the combat skill, I'm well aware of how many ways he can kick a man's ass" he asked, interrupting her inner conflict. She arched her brow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…well, what's he like? Personality, desires, relationships…that sort of thing…"

Diana paused, her mind churning with answers and questions of her own. Sighing, she leaned harder against the railing, staring out into the shadows that covered the large room.

"He's the single most stubborn, incensing, arrogant, man I know…and _gods _is he smug…"

"You paint quite the flattering picture…" Jack deadpanned, leaning on his elbow as he stared at her. Diana chuckled softly.

"But I also know that it's all a cover, a mask for him. Underneath it all is the kindest, most selfless, most heroic _person _I know. He'd shame Greek legends with his acts of bravery. He'd make poets weep with his words…"

"He'd make immortal Amazon's swoon uncontrollably?"

Diana blushed, glancing at Red Hood with a knowing smirk. "Lucky guess…"

"So you two are close, then?"

She paused again, brushing a piece of raven hair behind her ear. "Very." She replied. Turning to fully look at Hood, she began to slowly walk towards him.

"We're different in a lot of ways. Honesty, virtue, striving to be a symbol that others can look to for comfort if they need, those are my realms. His…he thrives in darkness, deceit, fear…he'd rather be a scapegoat than a hero, if that's what it took to save the day. I prefer to leave as many people still standing after a battle as possible, but he seems to live in brutality…"

"I'm guessing there's more to it than "opposites attract" though, right?"

She smiled, stopping in front of him. "We're both _very _intense, to the point where even gods are intimidated by us. That's no small feat for someone without powers…He's the most gifted fighter I've ever met, and he pushes me to the brink, to be the best fighter I can possibly be. We're both scholars by choice…" she giggled, "he and I once had a conversation composed entirely of Aristotle quotes around Flash, I thought his brain was going to melt out his ears…"

"He doesn't seem like the kind of person who jokes…"

Again she smiled, another blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Around other people, he doesn't have a funny bone in his entire body. But I've seen his sense of humour; Oscar Wilde would be jealous of his wit."

Red Hood chuckled himself. "Lucky you, huh? Bringing out the human in the bat…"

"He wears a lot of masks by nature…" Diana began, staring out into the black void surrounding them again. "It took me a _very _long time to strip them away to find the man little eight year old Bruce could have been if…" she paused, closing her eyes. Clearing her throat, she continued. "He was resistant of course, at first. But…gods, seeing him _happy_, it's one of the best things I've ever seen. And the fact that I was the one to do it…that alone might be one of my most treasured accomplishments. Reminding him that he's human…it opened up a whole new Bruce to the world…"

"I can see what you do for him." Hood stated, staring back at her. "But a relationship is a two-way street…"

Diana's smile warmed again as her gaze fell upon his crimson mask again. "In a way, he does the same thing for me. He strips away the Amazonian training, the royal heritage…around him, I get to drop the regal princess attitude and just be _Diana_. I can swear, I can cry, I can act as immature or as mature as I want…he doesn't care, his only concern is that I'm happy. I get to feel…ordinary, around him. And that might just be the most special feeling I have, to be a tiny little grain of sand, unimportant to the universe at large. Just him, and me, alone…but together…"

"How very poetic…" Jack deadpanned, shaking his head. Diana chuckled as well, before her face grew grim. This caught Hood off guard as he listened intently.

"He's also the only one strong enough to pull me out of some very dark places. The moment we started…being _official_…he told me how he was always so afraid that he'd pull me into the blackness that surrounds him, that I'd be corrupted by him. Well…there have been many, _many _times over my life, even before we started dating, that all the responsibilities and horrors I've seen almost _did _pull me into the abyss…and he was always there to reach out and pull me back. Without him…I don't know what I'd be right now, but it certainly wouldn't be Wonder Woman…"

Red Hood pushed off from the railing, turning his full body towards her. His voice became deftly serious again as he spoke.

"So with everything that's happened…could you have seen this coming?"

Diana sighed, shaking her head. She tore he stare away from the shadows as she faced Red Hood, her eyes filled with remorse.

"Honestly? No, I don't think so…I just told two of my closest friends that this thing we're fighting isn't Batman, and I fully believe that. He Batman I know…the Bruce I love…he'd sooner die than let this happen. But if your Batman _was _anything like mine…for the Batman I know to have gone down this path, something would have had to happen…there would have had to be some _reason_ for him to turn into this."

She closed her eyes, shaking slightly.

"And that terrifies me more than I'm willing to admit…"

Red Hood sighed loudly, resting his back against the railing. It creaked slightly under his weight, drawing her eyes to his slouched form. A thought dawned on her.

"That's what you really wanted to know, isn't it? If there was some reason Batman was like this…"

"I'm also pretty manipulative with words…helps when you don't know which type of person you want to be when you wake up…"

She crossed her arms over her chest, not in annoyance but with curiosity. "Why though?"

Jack pushed off from the railing as he stood in his full height next in front of her. He shoved his hands in his pockets again.

"A few days before all this started…he saved my wife from a couple of goons…she was carrying our child with her too. He saved my family…a man doesn't go from that to carving smiles into loud-mouthed satirists faces without there being a reason."

He rubbed his helmet, drawing her attention to its grimy red surface.

"It's the reason I dress like this. The guy who almost killed her was wearing something like this…I wear it to try to remind him of the person he once was. So far, it hasn't worked out very well…"

He sighed as he turned for the exit, gesturing back towards the stunned Wonder Woman. "C'mon, Barbara wanted to see you guys. We should leave; this place gives me the creeps…"

Diana had to agree as the sinister feeling returned, jolting through her spine. She grimaced before following Hood, their boots synchronizing as they clanked into the rusty metal below them. Hood craned his neck to glance back at her.

"I saw Superman…he seemed a lot more relaxed. What did you say to him?"

Diana chuckled, pushing the creeping feeling of dread out of her mind. "I told him that I think our Batman's desperately trying to find a way to help us."

"Hmm, you really think that?"

Unconsciously, Diana glanced at the roof of the complex. Small holes dotted the otherwise shaded ceiling, streams of fiery red flowing in from the night sky. She glanced back at Hood, her face neutral.

"Yeah…I honestly do…"

* * *

**You know, writing any Barbara and/or Dick (Grayson that is) material makes me realize how much the bat-embargo the DCAU faced must have sucked. Damn you Warner Brothers, I wanted to see Joker in "This Little Piggy"! **

**Anyways, thus finisheth the Chapter; hope you guys enjoyed it! It was heavy on character interaction and development (which is my personal favorite part of writing in all honesty), so hopefully you guys enjoyed how things are transpiring so far (shits about to get _real _heavy...)**

**I also got to explain why I love the BM/WW pairing so much and why I think it works in the actual story, so that was a bonus for me. **

**Anyways, be sure to tell me how you felt about the chapter, and thanks again for reading on! **

**Tune in next time for the stunning reveal that Wally West is actual his own father, and that the speed force is actually Josef Stalin being chased by Leo Trotsky (with a very bloody ice pick) for all eternity! **

**...why can't I leave the Flash alone? **


	13. Chapter 11: The Black Mirror

**New chapter ladies and gentlemen, sorry that it's a little later than normal. **

**Now usually I like to have the chapter titles in Latin, but the translation wasn't exactly working out for me on this one, so the title will be in English. Normally I'd just change it to something else, but I _really _wanted to use "The Black Mirror" for this chapter (props if you get the reference). **

**Also, big thing...fair warning; this is probably the darkest chapter I've done. No seriously. It gets heavy and violent down there. I figured a warning would be a good idea since this is about as far as I can possibly stretch the 'T' rating without it spilling over into 'M' rated territory. And also...well when news stories say "view discretion advised" is ropes people in, and I'm nothing if not shameless...**

**I also realize that I haven't been funny this entire author's note, which won't do, so how about a joke? Lets see...hmmm, oh, got one!**

**See, there were these two guys in a lunatic asylum... and one night, one night they decide they don't like living in an asylum any more...**

* * *

_**Chapter Eleven: The Black Mirror**_

_**Wayne Manor: Earth-861**_

_Dim moonlight seeped through the parted curtains as Bruce and Diana leisurely walked down the hall, their arms intertwined. The air was still, the hall all but silent save for the slight echo of Bruce's shoes on the polished floor. Diana snuggled closer to Bruce's frame, her eyes listing upwards as she smiled. Her face was as radiant as the pale light that surrounded them, her eyes twinkling brightly with love and hope. Bruce couldn't help but return the gesture, his gruff exterior completely torn apart by the mighty Amazon beside him. _

"_Penny for your thoughts?" she asked, still gazing into his piercing blue eyes. Bruce chuckled warmly. _

"_Well that's not an overused statement…"_

"_You don't have to be so catty," she teased, her voice still soft and welcoming, "I'm still getting used to you showing an emotion other than "brooding"."_

"_Brooding's not really an emotion….."_

"_You're right, for you it's a way of life."_

_Bruce laughed, squeezing Diana tighter against his frame as they passed another full bookcase. "Not so much anymore though, right?"_

"_You're getting better," she stated, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "but I think you've filled that menacing, bat-filled hole with jealousy."_

_Her smirk grew as Bruce's brow furrowed in surprise. He scoffed and pushed his nose into the air, trying his best to imitate a posh accent. _

"_The Batman does not get jealous, my dear…"_

"_Really? Because I'm pretty sure you were about to tear Agent Faraday in two….."_

_Bruce scoffed again as he turned his gaze towards another bookshelf, its content's hidden in shadows. "Maybe I'm a little protective then. It's not every day that you get to have an Amazon girlfriend who's madly in love with you."_

"_It's more of a passing fancy, really." She teased. "I'm just waiting for the next big model to show up."_

_Bruce chuckled, though his eyes were rooted to her raven hair. He noticed the streams of light from the moon were reflecting off her locks slightly less despite the cloudless night sky. _

"_And King Faraday is a step up from me huh?" he asked distractedly, "He seems pretty plain to me. Not _nearly _enough issues…..or money."_

_He grunted slightly as she playfully elbowed him in the gut, his eyes drifting back down to her linin wrapped form. Her smiled beamed. "Why are you giving me a hard time about this, huh? What happens if I run into one of those Gotham girls that fawn over you?"_

"_They'd avoid us. They know they've got absolutely nothing on you." He smiled warmly as he brushed her rosy cheek. She nestled closer to him. _

"_Stop being sweet, I was trying to be funny….." she purred, her eyes closed. A small feeling of discomfort settled in Bruce's gut as they passed yet another, similar looking bookshelf. Inky shadows almost completely enveloping it in darkness, causing Bruce's brow to furrow incredulously again. Diana stirred, directing his gaze back to her. _

"_I'm glad I ditched the heels back at the front entrance, I forgot how long this hallway is." _

"_What do you mean?" Bruce asked, the insidious feeling in his gut beginning to rise throughout his body. _

"_It feels like we've been walking forever, I just keep forgetting that…."_

"_Something isn't right." Bruce interrupted, his voice morphing into the serious baritone of his alter ego. He tore away from Diana quickly as they stopped, glancing behind them at the hallway they had ventured down. Bruce's eyes widened in shock; the hall behind them stretched on forever, sets of windows, bookshelves and sculptures stretching into infinity before him. The moonlight streaking in through the windows seemed to dim the longer he looked at it, creating ghastly shadows that reached for the darkened walls instead of the calming hue that had bathed them mere moments ago. _

"_Bruce, what's wrong?" Diana asked curiously, her hand lightly placed on his shoulder. He turned to face her, only to recoil in shock as he stared into a gaping void of blackness settling in behind her. _

"_What the hell is going on….." he whispered, staring ahead at the impenetrable blackness. Both Diana and Bruce jumped as a piercing shriek ripped through the veil of shadows, echoing through the darkened hall. _

_It sounded strikingly familiar…_

_The couple glanced at each other, their skin paling, as another scream emanated from behind the shadows. Diana's face hardened as she reached out her hand towards Bruce, her shoulder's poised for battle. He nodded as he tightly grasped her hand, his face morphing into the serious visage of the Dark Knight. Breathing in deeply, they bounded into the darkness, their hands still entangled….._

_Only to enter what appeared to be a hellish mirror of Wayne Manor. Books were strewn across the floor. Paintings hung desperately from failing hinges. The carpet was stained in blotches of dark crimson. Sickly red hue fought against the suffocating darkness, casting the entire hall in a sinister glow. _

_Their hands squeezed together tightly as they timidly stepped around the corner. _

_Bruce saw it first, the familiar red and gold suit lying motionless on the floor, a pool of blood gushing from the broken bones piercing his skin and forming underneath the mangled corpse. They both gasped, desperately trying to push the rising bile back into their stomachs. A second body sat slumped in a near-by chair, a hand adorned with a flickering power ring desperately attempting to reach out towards the dead Flash. A bloody mace was embedded in the wall above his head, a crushed golden helmet pinned between the two. _

_Copious amounts of blood streaked the wall, while Bruce and Diana squeezed each other's hand even tighter. They tried to remain stoic, but Bruce could hear both his and Diana's breath getting shallower and shallower the further they trudged into this hell in front of them. _

_The couple rounded a blood streaked corner, a putrid stench immediately assaulting their noses. They heard the crackling of fire first, before their eyes laid upon the smouldering corpse of J'onn, his charred face frozen in fear. Superman was slumped against a wall, a gaping hole where his S-shaped crest used to be. His mouth hung agape, while bloody fingertips pointed towards two large wooden doors. _

_The doors to Bruce's study._

_A massive bat was etched in Superman's blood, covering both doors in dripping crimson. Bruce roughly pulled out of Diana's grasp as he sprinted towards the oak doors. Grimacing as his friend's blood gushed over his hands, he wildly flung the doors open….._

_Only to collapse onto his knees at the sight that greeted him._

_The entire bat-clan sat at a make-shift table, their eyes hollow and their skin greying. Mangled and mutilated limbs adorned the top, like a sickly feast of his closest allies. Above them hung Alfred, his terrified form crucified over the portrait of his parents. Blood poured down the wall where he hung like crimson tears, pooling under both the smoking fireplace and the dripping table at which the corpses of his family were posed. _

_His family…..his friends…..all dead….._

_He lurched forward, feeling the contents of his stomach threatening to rise. The soft pitfalls of Diana's feet slowly approached him, her voice quivering. _

"_My god…..Bruce…..who…"_

_She froze in fear as she stopped behind him, her eyes staring almost lifelessly ahead. Bruce turned towards her, his form wracked by tremors._

_Only to scream loudly as the darkness behind Diana pulsed forward. _

_Tendrils of shadow inched forward and wrapped themselves around Diana's ankles, roughly pulling her towards the floor. Without so much as a scream, she reached forward towards Bruce, tears falling from her eyes. His hand shot out towards her, desperately trying to grab onto her hand. _

_But the darkness pulled her away quicker than he could react. She disappeared into the inky blackness, completely silent, as the doors slammed shut behind her. Leaving Bruce alone, quivering and whimpering and covered in his family's blood, his hand still outstretched towards the door._

_Completely alone…_

_Until the maniacal cackling began….._

_Bruce bolted upwards as the laughter echoed through the now darkened room, the red light completely disappearing. Bruce's fists shook as he poured his gaze over the shadows that surrounded him, fire leaping from his eyes. _

"_You…" he seethed. "You did this! You took them from me!"_

"**oh** batsy…..my **darling**…..how I love that you always think of me** firssssssttttt**!"

_Joker's insidious laughter rattled loudly in his head as Bruce spun on his heels, yelling into the void around him._

"_You mindless murdering psychopath!"_

"hehehe, now** now**, you're making me **blush**! but then again, you always **DID** know how to sweet talk me, didn't you **sweety**?" _He stepped out from the shadows, his deathly white skin glowing in the darkness around him. His blood red lips stretched in an inhuman and mocking grin, yellow tinged eyes burning with chaos and evil. Each giggle that emanated from the demented clown gnawed away at Bruce's self-control. _

"_WHY!" Bruce screamed, blood dripping from his clenched and trembling fists. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!?"_

_The Joker leapt towards him, his skeletal arms enveloping Bruce in an affectionate hug. Before he could push the clown off, Joker seductively leaned towards his ear and whispered._

"but batsy-**babe**, I have noooooo idea what you mean **hehehahahahahah**!"

_Bruce roughly grabbed Joker by the wrist and flung him to the ground, a sickening crack echoing through the shadowed room as the clown's tailbone shattered. His fist rammed hard into Joker's face, sending bits of bloodied teeth flying out in all directions. He mercilessly continued, his punches growing harder and harder as the Joker's insane laughing grew louder._

"_YOU MURDERED MY FAMILY!"__he spat, feeling the Joker's blood splash across his face. "AFTER EVERYTHING YOU'VE PUT ME THROUGH, YOU STILL HAD TO TAKE EVERYTHING I AM, EVERYTHING I FIGHT FOR, AWAY FROM ME!?"_

"aaaaaahhhhhhh….there's ***cough*** there's the batman…..I've missed so **much**! you…..you never come out to….**PLAY** with me anymore **hehehahaha**!"

"_SHUT UP YOU FILTHY DEGENERATE! YOU'VE GONE TOO DAMN FAR THIS TIME!"_

"but babe…..***cough*** hehehahah, that's what's so **funny** hahah…..I didn't do **ANY** of this **hahahahaha**!"

_Bruce's punches ceased as the words hit him. He dangled the still laughing clown by his bloody lapel as he glared at him, growling. _

"_What do you mean you DIDN'T do this? Only you could…"_

"no see, **THAT'S** where you're wrong! ***cough***, you know I **love** you more than** anyone** but not even **I** could put you through this kind of** fun**..." _Joker's chilling laugh died down as he gazed into Bruce's eyes, the sinister yellow of his iris's glowing with fiery lust. _"**look** at them batsy…..do you see the **BETRAYAL** in their eyes? Hehehaha, only **ONE** man could do something like that….."

_Bruce recoiled in horror, his eyes darting helplessly around him as the bodies of his friends were paraded past him, their mangled corpses hanging on bloodied hooks in the very glass containers that contained his batsuits. A sickening macabre. Each of their faces were frozen in shock and terror, their lifeless eyes ripping and tearing at Bruce's very soul. He could only whimper when he saw Diana, dried tracks of tears littering her battered face. _

_Tears of complete and utter betrayal. _

"**Why are you so surprised Bruce? You knew this day would come eventually, didn't you?"**

_Bruce's eyes darted back to the heavy figure he was grappling with. He gasped, releasing the fabric he was clenching with bloodied fists as he skirted backwards in terror. Joker was gone; in his place was the smirking form of Batman, his gloved hand enclosed around a bloody golden tiara. _

"**It's like looking into a mirror, isn't Bruce? That sinister looking reflection that you so often choose to ignore, hiding in the dark corners of your mind. The places you so arrogantly pretend you're safe from." **

_The smiling Batman leaned forward and grabbed the stammering Bruce by his neck, his head feeling light as the gloved hands slowly squeezed the life out of him. Batman laughed in a deep, controlled baritone, as he pulled the choking Bruce closer to his cowl. _

"**So, what do you think, Bruce? What do you think of the little corner of hell that you've created?"**

…

…

…

He awoke with a start, sweat pouring profusely from his brow. Bruce's mind was swimming with emotion and panic, his vision still blurry. A panicked voice was trying to pierce through the dreamy veil, though all he could here were muffled cries. He tried to rise from his seat, but pressure on his left arm held him down, pushing him softly back into his seat. He blinked furiously at the materializing shape in front of him, trying to get a barring oh his surroundings.

"A-alfred?"

"Master Bruce! Thank heavens, I heard your screaming from upstairs! I thought…"

"Batcave…good…I'm just in the batcave…" he mumbled softly, staring past the worried face of his butler at the blinking screen of the batcomputer. Alfred's gloved hand lightly pressed against his neck, feeling for a pulse.

"My god Master Bruce, your heart must be going nearly 180 beats a minute. Let me get something from the medicine cabinet…"

Batman pushed Alfred aside and stood to his full height, his hands reaching upward as he pulled his cowl back over his face.

"How much progress has been made on the scans?"

"Master Bruce, please. Let's just focus on your health for a moment before we…"

"_Progress, _Alfred. I _need _to know how much closer I am to cracking this portal wide open…"

The Englishman sighed, shaking his head dejectedly. "It's slow, Master Bruce. Your programs are pouring over every algorithm in existence to dissect this piece of Brainiac, and the recovered pieces from the Watchtower have certainly helped immensely. But…"

"What's the estimated time of completion?" he asked, his tone low and neutral. "How much longer until I can reprogram this device myself?"

Alfred cautiously rubbed the nape of his neck, his eyes staring sympathetically at the towering form of Batman. "I believe the latest estimate was…two weeks, sir."

He barely had time to react as Batman screamed, his fists pounding into the batcomputer's keyboard in rage. Bits of sparking plastic shot into the air as Batman seethed.

"GODDAMMIT!"

"Master Bruce please, there's no need go on a rampage!"

"They don't have that kind of time Alfred! Every second they're in that god-forsaken dimension they could be in some unfathomable danger! For all I know, they could have already died _weeks _ago!"

"I understand this is weighing heavily on you Master Bruce, but there's nothing more you can do at this point besides wait and hope for the best…"

Batman leapt towards Alfred in a blinding flash of ebony, his cape swirling menacingly around him as fire darted out of his eyes.

"**You know **_**damn well **_**that there's more I could be doing! A **_**hell **_**of a lot more!"**

Alfred recoiled in shock at his master's tone, unaccustomed to the vitriol spewing from Bruce's voice. He pushed his bewilderment into the back of his mind as Batman attempted to storm past him, bravely stepping in front of the fuming Dark Knight with an outstretched hand.

"Sir if you don't take a second to compose yourself, I fear you may only compound the situation…"

"**Get. Out. Of. MY. WAY ALFRED!" **Batman hissed as he violently slapped Alfred's arm aside. Almost immediately after his hand connected with the butler's arm he paused, shocked at his own jarring outburst. He didn't even attempt to dodge the gloved hand that smacked across his face. Alfred stared at him, his face hardened.

"Alfred…I-I'm…"

"You're _what_, Master Bruce? Sorry?" Alfred brought his hand back to his side as he stood defiantly in front of his surrogate son. "Are you sorry for lashing out at me? Or are you sorry for being so pigheaded that you refuse to acknowledge all the damage you're doing to yourself? Believe me sir; I am _far_ more disappointed in the latter…"

Batman looked at his feet sheepishly, his cloak enveloping him in blackness as his shoulder slumped. "You know I can't stop Alfred…not until they're back. Not until _she's _back…"

"And what if they never _do _come back? What then, Master Bruce? You already teeter so dangerously close to the black heart of vengeance…I _will _not sit idly by while you let it pull you under the surf!"

"That's why I have to keep looking!" Batman growled, his anger rising again. "If I give up now…"

"I'm not implying that you should sir!" Alfred's anger began to boil over as well, his tone matching that of man standing in front of him. "But if you blindly flail head-first into this problem all you'll do is get yourself _killed _in the process! What would Miss Diana say if she saw you now, hmm?"

Batman gritted his teeth as he stared down his guardian. "If she was in my situation, she'd have torn up half of Gotham to find me!"

"No she certainly would not! She'd be sitting in that chair, in front of the batcomputer, working with _everyone _she could think of, to bring you back safely _without _jeopardizing lives unnecessarily! _Including _her own! She would ensure she was emotionally fit and pour over every detail _logically _instead of being blinded by emotions!"

He sighed, shaking his head. "Sir, you have allies…"

"Who _can't _help me!"

"Why not, Master Bruce! Because you're scared?"

"OF COURSE I'M…" Batman's chest huffed as he breathed in deeply. His eyes darted to the floor as his voice dropped in volume. "Of course I'm scared. I'd never be able to live with myself if I caused them _any _harm…" He paused, turning his head towards the batcomputer.

"But you're right, Alfred. She'd get help…and so will I."

Alfred sighed, relief flushing over his face. "Very good sir, I shall contact Master Dick and Miss Gordon and inform them to take over patrol duties while you rest. Perhaps Master Tim and the rest of the Teen Titans can provide assistance with the algorithm; I believe Master Stone and his father can help you with the…"

"No." interrupted Batman, his form stalking towards the batcomputer. "No one else close to me is getting involved." He glanced back at Alfred. "And I'm _not _resting."

Alfred's attempt to protest was rebuffed as Batman began to bark orders at the still flickering screen of the batcomputer. "Computer, locate Hiro Okamura."

The screen blinked in and out of existence before white text began to scroll across the screen.

"_Subject: Hiro Okamura. Alias: Toyman II. Location: Tokyo, Japan."_

"Good. Alfred, is the secondary batwing prepped for trans-Atlantic flight?"

"Master Bruce, I…"

"Is it _prepped_ Alfred?"

The butler's fists clenched again as he stormed down the stairs. "Yes it is but…"

"Then start preparing the cave for a visitor." Batman stated, his dark form moving towards the back end of the cave. "Hiro was hired by Luthor last year to revamp his satilitte network. More than likely, he's gotten his hands on Brainiac tech and any files that go with it. I'll need every scrap of the destroyed device and the salvaged one from LexCorp ready for when he arrives…"

"And if this _Toyman _refuses to help?"

Batman growled, looking over his shoulder again. "He _won't_."

"Then you're on your own, Master Bruce…"

Batman stopped dead in his tracks, abruptly spinning on his heel to face Alfred. His face seethed with resurfaced anger. "_Excuse _me?"

Alfred crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down his son. "I will play no part of this, sir."

Batman scowled as he faced Alfred, fiery again leaping from his eyes. "So you're condemning them to death!?"

"No, sir. If you cannot see the danger of going at this without a clear head…"

"I won't _abandon _them Alfred!"

"You're not abandoning them Master Bruce! They would expect you to look at this situation with the strategic mind you're famous for, and that's impossible if you're judgment is clouded by emotion!"

Batman clenched his fists as he hissed, the bone white slits of his eyes burrowing into his butler. "_They. Might. Not. Have. Time! _I can't stop until every single one of them is back safe and sound! I can't stop unless I get to hold her in my arms and tell her how sorry I am for getting her into this mess! And if they are dead, if all of this is for nothing, then I won't be able to live with myself knowing that I was _too damn slow_! I _can't _sit back and wait, Alfred. I just lost _my family…"_

"And I refuse to sacrifice mine!"

"**THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STILL HERE!" **

The two men glared at each other, both of their forms wracked with tremors as rage coursed through their veins. A thick silence hung over them, neither one daring to speak. With a slight cough, Alfred straightened his posture, his eyes glancing towards the cave's exit.

"That's a bloody good question, sir…" He spun on his heel, slowly heading towards the spiralling staircase that lead to the Manor, not daring to look behind him. Batman continued to glare as his butler left, his cloak forcefully pushed over his shoulders. He turned towards the cave's secondary hanger as Alfred's strained voice echoed throughout the cave.

"Miss Lane and Queen Hippolyta called, inquiring about Master Kent and Miss Diana's ware abouts. They sounded quite worried…"

"You know what to tell them…" Batman growled as he leapt down the spiraling tunnel, his cape flapping around him as he tumbled. Alfred sighed as he made his way into the manor. His voice was a hoarse whisper, steeped in sadness, as a pained looked contorted his aged face.

"Very good sir. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I need to prepare for your funeral…"

* * *

**Well...there you have it, that's the chapter. **

**Hope you guys liked it, pretty sure I need to see a psychologist now but...meh. I mean, any chapter that uses the joke from the end of Alan Moore's _The Killing Joke_ in it's author's note ain't exactly from a normal human mind but...**

**Meh.**

**Feel free to leave comments or questions where the comments or questions go, and thanks again for reading the story! **

**Meanwhile I'm just going to go listen to "Aquaman's Rousing Song of Heroism" for 4 hours on loop until I don't feel so...dark and gritty...**


	14. Interlude Part II

**Aaaaaannnndddd we are back with another instalment of "Aren't you glad you live in the real world?" **

**This chapter focuses on two characters who maybe aren't quite equipped (emotionally at least) to deal with all that's transpired on the now Justice League-less Earth 861 (where the name "Family Skeleton's" comes from a quote by George Bernard Shaw), while the other half of the chapter focuses on a character that...well...it's in the title actually. Two guesses.**

**Speaking of titles, it's in English again because...well...look at all those words that I'd have to translate! I can't handle Latin of that magnitude! **

**The early Indo-Europeans _clearly _didn't take into account all of my potential story titles when they were creating their language the inconsiderate bastards _*mumble mumble mumble*_ Damn syntax...**

**Anyways, DC still owns people and I'm still poor, but either way thank you for the reviews and reads (that word belongs there, right?), and I hope you enjoy the chapter! **

* * *

_**Interlude Part II: Family Skeletons &amp; Death Becometh**_

_**Gotham City: Earth-861**_

Jim Gordon desperately clung to his billowing trench coat as another gust of frigid wind poured over him, wisps of his breath rising towards the piercing light of the bat-signal. A shudder rippled through his body as he stared into the thick black clouds above him.

In all his years on the force, Gordon had learned to trust his gut implicitly. Like it was some internal guardian angel or Geiger counter tuned to Gotham's very _specific _type of fallout. Right now…his gut was gnawing away at every fibre of his being, pounding his mind with uneasiness. It wasn't the unbearably cold May temperature, or Two-Face's string of kidnappings, or even the fact that the Joker had been quiet for almost a week.

No, something was very _very _off, in the most sinister way possible.

And staring up at the shifting visage of the bat-signal, deep down Gordon had a hunch he knew exactly what was causing this feeling.

It only made him feel worse…

"He's not coming Comish," a familiar voice appeared behind him, breaking his train of thought and spinning him around in shock, "sorry, you're stuck with us."

Nightwing sat perched on the edge of the building, shadows covering his masked face. Batgirl crouched next to him, her black and yellow cape blowing in the cool breeze.

"Is sneaking up on me just a bat-family game? Or am I losing my edge?"

A small smirk crept onto Nightwing's face as he pointed his thumb at the sprawling gothic skyscrapers behind them. "What, you didn't hear us arguing back there?"

"You? Argue? I would have thought he'd beat stuff like that out of you kids…"

"Trust me," Batgirl rose to her full height and crossed her arms over her golden emblem, "he gets the bat-lash pretty much every day."

"Only 'cause he's soft on you." Nightwing retorted, sarcastically sneering at Batgirl, She rolled her eyes beneath her cowl.

"Right. Sure. Can't be because of your childish attitude now can it?"

Gordon tried to force out a laugh, but his shoulders quickly sunk as he diverted his gaze back into the inky black sky. Another burst of cool air clawed at his face as he stroked his unshaven chin.

"I don't suppose you'll tell me what's going on with him, will you?"

"What do you mean, Jim?" Nightwing asked timidly as they stepped closer to the Commissioner, his eyes still staring at the giant bat emblem hovering in the sky.

"It wouldn't take a detective to know that something's off with Batman, but coincidently I _am _a detective. And a damn good one at that."

His eyes briefly met the covered ones of the two heroes next to him as he shuffled towards the bat-signal, his hand reaching towards the bulky lever adorning its side. With a mighty heave, the light pouring upwards into the sky died, shrouding them in darkness.

"Believe it or not, Batman always informs me if he's going to be out of town. So I can take the necessary…_precautions_, he says. When he's back, he usually leaves me a present outside the front doors; if I'm lucky I get a souvenir or two as well."

He fumbled with his jacket pocket and pulled a cigar and a lighter, unaware of Batgirl's discrete flinching as he lit one of the ends. He continued to speak with a low, muffled tone as weak orange light bathed his aged face.

"After Brainiac flattened Metropolis, he told me that he was going to spend some extra time on the Watchtower. That was a week ago; haven't heard a damn thing since…"

"He's not dead…" Nightwing quickly blurted out, earning a disapproving glare from Batgirl. A thick cough wracked Gordon's frame as he killed the flame.

"I know he's not dead, because Luthor just tried to press charges against him. Assault and battery. _Hmph_, I'd love to see how that works out for him." He muttered the last bit under his breath as he crushed the cigar under his heel. He walked closer to the two costumed heroes after the last dying ember was out.

"NORAD picked up the batwing heading out to an unmarked plant in Elsewoods County slightly after that. Incidentally, that was the last known location of Deathstroke before he cancelled all his outstanding contracts and went underground…"

"Look, Jim…" Batgirl interrupted, raising her gloved hand quickly. "Batman's on a very…_sensitive_ mission right now, even _we're _not in the loop. League stuff, you understand?"

"No I get that…" he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets, "but when was the last time Batman ever let NORAD track him?"

Neither hero answered; instead their gaze fell to the floor. Jim sighed as he stared back into the rolling clouds overhead.

"I've known him long enough to get that he doesn't ask for help, but with all the rumours floating around about what happened…" he paused, mulling the words in his brain as his eyes fell to the two crime fighters next to him. He sighed again, loudly, as he closed the distance, forcefully placing his hands on both of their shoulders. "Gotham needs him just as much as the world needs the League. Make sure you remind him of that…_please_."

Before Nightwing or Batgirl could respond, Gordon spun on his heel and trudged towards the roof's exit, steam still rising from his mouth in the frosty air. He stopped part of the way to the door and glanced over his shoulder.

"They're not dead, are they?"

"I…I don't think any of us know, not even him." Batgirl responded quietly.

"Has Batman said what his contingency plan is? You know, in case he can't get the League back from…where ever the hell they are?"

Nightwing stood rigid, his gaze still directed at the damp ground around him. He finally shook his head dejectedly as he stared back at the Commissioner.

"Honestly Jim? No, he hasn't."

Jim stood unmoving for a brief second as he processed that, before grunting as he reached for the door handle.

"Now I'm really worried…" he lamented as he stepped into the warmth and light of the GCPD building, leaving Nightwing and Batgirl alone on the roof. They turned towards each other, faces flushed of colour from the combination of stress and unending cold. Batgirl spoke first, her eyes filled with worry.

"He's right you know."

"Yeah…I know…" Dick responded, his face sinking again as the weight of the past week continued to push down on him. "If he can't get the League back, we might not have enough time to organize a B-Team before the next cosmic horror decides to harvest us or something…"

"Not just that, I mean…what Dad said about Deathstroke…" Barbara crossed her arms again to supress a growing shiver. "He snapped at Alfred, Dick. He practically kicked the only father figure he's ever known to the curb. What do you think he's doing to criminals now? Or even just people unfortunate enough to get in his way?"

"I don't know…"

"He crashed the batwing Dick, into a building still filled with _people_. What kind of mental state is he is right now?"

"I honestly don't know…"

"You don't think he could have…"

"Babs…" Dick clamped onto her shoulders and gently spun her around, their faces meeting with weary eyes. His voice remained low, dripping with exhaustion and apprehension. "…I know you don't like to hear this, but I honestly _don't _know."

Barbara sighed heavily as he gaze fell to the ground again. Her chest heaved as she took a step backwards, another tremor shooting up her frame. Seeing the proud Batgirl, who had endured so much with little more than a scowl to show for it, shrivel up into a scared child tugged at the heart strings of Dick. Not that she was alone; he too was beginning to succumb to the unrelenting onslaught of worry and pessimism parading through both of their minds. Bruce was a rock, never daring to show a single moment of weakness lest the fragile façade of an immortal Batman crumble around him.

And yet, staring at Barbara, he knew that if he lost her, there would be little standing in his way as he tore up his surroundings looking for her. Diana meant more to Bruce than any of them could possibly fathom…would any man not want to do the same for their loved ones?

He calmly placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed, drawing her closer to him. The both stared into the blinking lights of Gotham, letting the frigid wind violently slap them in the face.

Dick secretly hoped that one of the slaps would be enough to wake him from the rumbling nightmare that he knew was growing around him…

"Do you think the League's alright?" Barbara asked quietly, forcing Dick's attention away from the forest of brick and glass.

"I…"

"I know, I know, you don't know…sorry, I just had to ask."

Dick tried to smile as he rubbed her shoulder. "It's alright Babs, I get it." Their eyes met as his brain desperately churned to come up with an answer.

"You've seen the League in action, they're tough. All of them. They'd have to be to fight off someone like Brainiac…"

"But…"

"But I honestly don't know…" Dick sighed, his eyes slowly listing towards the clouds above them. The suffocating blackness seemed to grow more and more ominous the longer he stared at it.

"Whatever it is they're facing…I just hope they're ready for it…"

…

…

…

_**Gotham City: Earth-1793**_

He sat rigidly in his throne as the flickering blue hue darting through the stone column faded; the massive screen from which it emanated slowly disappeared into the expansive ceiling. Darkness engulfed him like an inky blanket, shading him and the two stoic silhouettes standing next to him in suffocating shadows. A slight smile spread on his lips, the white canines of his teeth piercing through the blackness as he stared straight ahead.

"_Morte factus sum eversor saecula," _he murmured with a low rumble, "_I am become death, the destroyer of worlds._ Do you know who said that, Alfred?"

The round, portly figure to his right stepped closer to his throne, a shattered monocle perched precariously on a long, slender nose. His sickly grey face was adorned with grotesque scars, while his animalistic eyes were little more than blank orbs, floating in a sea of burst blood vessels. The figure growled something unintelligible at him, his bristled grey moustache bouncing off his lips like an artificial slab of skin.

The figure didn't react as the sleek and glistening material of a batarang cut through the air, the sharpened tip slicing the thick flesh of its neck. The round creature tumbled to the ground with a wet gurgle, black liquid quickly pouring over its tuxedo. Still grinning, the dark silhouette glanced over at the now empty spot.

"I wasn't talking to you, Alfred." His head quickly darted to his opposite side as the second figure stepped forward, his equally scarred and decrepit face matching the colour of the question marks dotting his fading green suit. "I was talking to _you_."

'Alfred' could only growl in response, its head rising slightly towards the ceiling.

"It was _J. Robert Oppenheimer_, Alfred, quoting the Hindu scriptures. I'm disappointed that someone with your education wouldn't know that…" he stated, rising from his throne as the wall in front of him split apart. The gaping spires of Gotham materialized in front of him as crimson light poured through the window, basking the room in its eerie glow. His shadow stretched behind him as he walked closer to the gothic skyline, the pointed ears of his cowl nearly reaching the shimmer metal of his throne room's door.

He couldn't help but smile as his hardened gaze darted between each skeletal structure, the occasional plumes of choking smoke still rising from the scorched earth. Entropy was beautiful in the eyes of those who dared to stare into its frightening abyss, and he would be sure to soak up every flickering flame of destruction before he met eternal bliss.

The infernos of destruction were, after all, little more than an extension of Batman's will at this point.

Clasping his hands behind his cloaked back, he addressed the green suited creature behind him with a predatory grin.

"He was referring to the first atomic bomb when he said that, his contribution to man's never ending war. Such destruction…such potential…it was his legacy, his destined lot in the annals of history. But can you imagine the kind of putrid _objections_ he'd have to fight against while he worked? From himself…from his _team_…"

'Alfred' stood next to him, its mustache bristling as it released a low growl. Batman's smile widened as he continued, his eyes never leaving the smoking ruins of Gotham.

"Such a wide collection of minds, this Project Manhattan…so many souls pouring every fibre of their destructive nature into the splitting of two, tiny, _insignificant _atoms. Do you think it tore some of them apart to know what they were creating? Do you think they tore _each other _apart?"

He nearly chuckled despite himself, the bone white slits of his cowl still staring unendingly at the city below him.

"You would hope not, wouldn't you Alfred? You would hope that everyone would be able to cope with the reality they find themselves in, especially when you hold the entire world up on your shoulders. A project like that would require every cog in its machinery to be in perfect sync with one another, like a clock."

"_Urrrrr_"

"It's amazing, isn't it Alfred? For time to have any meaning on our lives, every tiny little gear spinning around in the frame of a wooden box needs to line up with its partner perfectly, their grooves meshing implicitly, without waver or thought. The first gear has to spin continuously, never stopping, never losing focus, and never once ignoring the fact that its entire existence holds the operation of the clock together. The of course, there's the gear that moves the hands on the clock's face, the one that does the real…_heavy lifting_. The moment it loses its grip on the hands…well it doesn't really matter what the rest of the gears do, those hands aren't moving again until it's…_fixed._ The clock is practically useless at that point._"_

"_Urrrrrrrrrr"_

"And every other gear's has to play its part no matter what. They always have to follow their design, mesh with their other gears, and above all keep _spinning_. Because if at any moment, those little cogs start to fall apart, or stop meshing, or even quit spinning altogether…"

An explosion ripped through the street below as Batman clenched his fist. "…then the clock is useless. It's _failed_, and yet another impalpable aspect of our universe loses all meaning to us…sad, isn't it Alfred?"

The green-suited creature remained silent, only staring at the cloaked man next to him. Batman's smile increased as he turned to face the sickly being, his voice remaining completely neutral.

"I don't think it's sad, Alfred. I think it's…hilarious…"

Static erupted around them as one of the monitors descended quickly from the shaded ceiling. The cyborg visage of Lex Luthor materialized on screen as Batman turned to face it, his smile disappearing from his face.

"We are in position, Master."

"**All of you?" **he growled, his piercing glare directed at the screen.

"Yes, the…_package_ is with us as well."

Batman's gaze softened slightly as his cloak enveloped his armoured form. **"Excellent Luthor. I've designated Section 39 for termination, they should be along shortly."**

"Do we attack on sight?"

"**No, let them struggle away a little longer. You'll know when the time is right to strike." **

"Understood Master." The cyborg nodded, the frame shaking slightly as a hulking shape moved in the shadows behind him. A bright ember light began to blink on Luthor's arm, drawing his neutral attention to its message.

"Your exfiltration squad has delivered Floyd Lawton to your tower, Master." A smile crept back onto Batman's face as he turned back towards the Gotham skyline.

"**Good. I'll need some privacy then Luthor."**

"We will not fail you." Luthor responded crisply as the feed died. The monitor disappeared into the ceiling again as a shrill shriek echoed through the throne room. The metal doors at its entrance parted as two figures roughly dragged a squirming Floyd into the darkened chamber by his broken arms, his legs flailing wildly behind him. They stopped just past Batman's throne, the dying embers of light from the setting sun reflecting harshly off their grey, scarred skin. The large one in the shredded mask dropped Floyd's arm roughly, while it's skinny, feminine compatriot dug its sharp claws into the assassin's flesh. He screamed out in agony again as Batman drifted closer like a wraith, his demonic visage blocking out the light behind him.

"**Thank you Alfred, you may take your leave." **He growled. The three corpse like figures around him promptly marched towards the exit, absentminded groans escaping their cracked lips. Floyd stared pleadingly at Batman, desperately trying to support himself on mutilated arms.

"I-I did EVERYTHING you asked me too B-Batman! Please!"

"**That you did, Floyd."**

Floyd could barely show any shock as pain ripped through his body, the damaged muscles in his arms threatening to give out on him. Batman's armoured boots strode menacingly towards him as the masked man continued.

"**I understand that you want to see your family now."**

"I-I…yes, _please _for the love of…_please!"_

The shadows covering Batman's face hid his malicious smile as he stood directly in front of the downed assassin. Whimpering, he gripped Batman's leg, blood dripping down the silky ebony of his cloak as he groveled.

"_Please Batman! Let me see them!"_

"**I will, Floyd. But first, you have to answer a question."**

"Yes _anything, anything!_"

"**Do you believe in God, Floyd?" **

The assassin released Batman's leg as he sunk back into his broken form, confusion finally piercing the painful veil that held him hostage. He answered honestly, still staring directly into the soulless eyes of the figure in front of him.

"I-I…yes. Yes I do."

This time, he saw the smile as Batman leaned forward, procuring a sharp, glistening batarang from his utility belt.

"**Good. Then start **_**praying**_**…"**

* * *

**I'm sure Floyd is fine, he probably just got a very stern lecture and a bible smack or four.**

**I mean, sure the bible probably had a giant spike in it but...**

**Anyways, this part of this chapter was designed to deal, sort of, with what happened last chapter, and also make sure that the world knows Batgirl and Nightwing are a) still present and accounted for and b) also have no idea what's going on. And...well who doesn't love evil Batman, right?**

**Besides the countless billions he's murdered anyways. **

**Next chapter, we get back to the Justice League. And of course, everything goes completely fine because I was just bought out by Disney and am now contractually obliged to write happy endings where Bambi's mom come's back to life and they eat fudge together. **

**Except the fudge is made out of Flash's parents but...don't tell him that. **

**Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment in the comment thingy! **


	15. Author's apology and an Alfred or two

_**Before I start, there's a special surprise after the after the Author's note, so stick around (or skip ahead) to that part and get some good ol' fashioned…writing…stuff…**_

It involves Alfred, if that helps.

Alrighty…good news and potentially sort of bad news.

The good news is that, so far as we know, gravity is still a thing. So we'll all be routed to the ground for the foreseeable future. For those of you with dreams of floating into the atmosphere…well I'm sorry to say it still isn't your day. Maybe swallow a lot of helium…it'll either help or kill you.

Or both.

The sort of bad news is that I think "Reign of Terror" will be taking an indeterminate brake in updates for a while.

Here's why.

It's not dead, not by a long shot, and since I know exactly how I want it to end (I have a 25 page outline believe it or not) it _will _at some point be completed. Buuuuutttttt…alright let me start at the beginning (it's not soap-operay or anything, I just feel like sharing. And no it has nothing to do with my health, don't worry.)

"Reign of Terror" was a story that spawned out of an honest to god 4 hour, mind-numbingly painful attack of writers block for a concept that I thought was pretty cool, but could figure out a plot for the life of me. After seeing Injustice, thinking it was decent, and then wondering what Batman would be like if he was evil, I took off running on that.

Well the old story finally decided to give me a plot. Which means my first love is back (in my head) and with a 4 page Marvel Plot outline to boot (which basically means it's very bare bones, but I know what I'm doing now). And in all honesty I kinda want to take off running with _this _story, considering how it was my first one (for Justice League anyways; my never to be updated again Mass Effect fic doesn't count).

So…yeah, I'm sacrificing "Reign of Terror" for this new story. I just wanted to let you guys know so that, when you see a new story pop up, and you see that ROT hasn't been updated in umpteen months, you now know why. I do enjoy writing ROT (though it's getting a little bit more painful now that we're fully passing the Event Despair Horizon), and it's not like I'm unhappy with its direction (though my writing style seems to be evolving significantly), but I _really _want to do this new one. But again, I thought you guys deserved to know, since you've all been super supportive of ROT and everything (which I am eternally grateful for, so a big thank you to you guys as well!).

This also gives me the opportunity to plug the new story! Yay!

But not spoil anything (hopefully that's a yay too).

What can I say about it? It'll have BM/WW in it of course. Why wouldn't it? There probably won't ever be a Justice League story I write where that isn't the case. Unless I get a brain aneurism and accidentally type in "Superman" instead of "Batman". "And "Kal" instead of "Bruce"…but by that point you probably should have called an ambulance for me (its free up here! Actually no its not but that's because I live in Alberta so, before about two-three weeks ago, we were the Texas of Canada…)

The relationship will be a focal point, of course, but it's not a romance story. It's a Mystery/Drama type of shindig. With, you know, superheroes (and villains of course).

It'll be set in the Post-Crisis comics, which doesn't mean a whole lot other than the fact that Kyle Rayner is the Green Lantern, and Plastic Man is the comic relief. Haven't decided if I want Aquaman in it yet…maybe…maybe…It also means that there will be references to past events that happened in the JLA, the Obsidian Age being a big one, as is another famous one from that era.

Finally, it'll have a mix of third and first person to make it feel more comic book-esq. It'll probably be less dark as well for the most part: think somewhere between Kelly's LA run and the darker parts of Alex Ross's _Justice_. Maybe.

So…yeah. Just thought I'd let you guys know, thank you for your support, apologize for shuffling it under the carpet for a bit, and of course plug the story. Which, I'm proud to announce, will be called…

**JLA: BEHOLD A PALE HORSE**

Neato huh?

So yeah, expect an update on this new story (ie a prologue) in a few days.

Oh and it's business as normal for "Fair Verona": ie I update whenever I have an idea to flesh out or a James Bond reference I need to itch.

Speaking of Bond. James Bond. I mentioned a surprise.

Well I didn't really want to waste an entire chapter just spieling, so I gone and done wrote a little short story featuring our favorite butler to tide you guys over! Hope you enjoy, and thanks for listening!

Now…_on too….._

…

…

…

_**Alfred Pennyworth in…**_

_**On Her Majesty's Secret Service**_

_**November 29**__**th**__**, 1979**_

_**Approximately 48 kilometers outside Warsaw, Poland**_

"Bollocks!" Alfred grimaced as a bullet nearly nicked his elbow. He brought up his arm to shield his face as another round tore through the tree next to him, shards of bark spitting forward from the impact. An angry cacophony of shouts and discharging bullets closed in behind him, offering him little solace as the white hills of the Polish countryside stretched in front of him.

"Are you having difficulty Agent Pennyworth?" a voice crackled in his ear. He held up his index finger to his miniature radio as another deluge of AK rounds littered the ground around him.

"I wouldn't say I've 'screwed the pooch' just yet James, but it's certainly slinking away with its tail between its legs…"

"As are you, I imagine." James' voice cut through the static with a discrete humour about it. Alfred grunted as a round plowed into the powdered snow, kicking up a mist of white into his eyes.

"No, mine was most certainly _shot off_ around five hills ago…"

He bounded down a hill with his head tucked in front of him, another column of bullets sailing over his head. Dropping heavily to the ground, he rolled onto his back and allowed the forces of gravity to push him down the slope, his black suited form shifting slightly to either side as he avoided the skeletal trees around him. The Polish shouts behind him didn't cease as he rapidly descended the hill, meaning that they were more than likely following him.

A grazing bullet confirmed his hypothesis…

"Would you like extraction Alfred?"

"I believe that would be most prudent." Alfred unholstered his H&amp;K P7 and spun onto his shoulder, the sights of his handgun pointed at the advancing soldiers. He squeezed off eight silent rounds, four of which exploded in the skulls of his pursuers with a red mist while the remaining three embedded themselves in a hapless soldier's leg. He shifted to his back again and jettisoned the empty magazine. Through the stinging white mist that plowed into his face, he saw an abandoned motorcycle parked on the side of an approaching road. A small smile crossed his lips as he reached for his radio.

"I think I might have an escape after all, James. Care to meet me for a Sunday drive?"

"You're not stealing a car are you?" James feigned shock as Alfred rolled to his feet, a fresh magazine clicking into place.

"Of course not; I shot the drivers before they even saw me coming." He joked, sliding quickly into the abandoned bike's seat.

"You're getting cold in your old age."

"I blame Thatcher." Alfred released his hold on the radio and fired off a series of warning shots at the scurrying patrol. His eyes poured over the bike, looking for any sort of key or frayed wire. Lucky for him, the keys seemed to be hanging out of the ignition in the most inviting way possible.

That of course meant that the bike was either broken beyond repair or out of gas. The strained groaning and thick black smoke emanating from the rear of the bike seemed to indicate the former…

"Oh well, beggars can't be chosers…" Alfred lamented as he throttled the bike. "Especially when such a beggar is at risk of getting a fatal case of _lead _poisoning…"

The bike chugged down the road as the shouting guards behind him grew quieter, enough distance existing between the hunters and huntee that Alfred could almost being to relax…

_Almost_…

"I assume that ungodly noise means you've commandeered transport?"

"Of sorts." Alfred confirmed. "How long this wounded _gazelle_ decides to continue functioning remains to be seen…"

"I'll need some sort of landmark in order to find you. It's not like we have some sort of artificial imaging process mapping out the entire area after all…"

"Maybe when men fly with birds and I share my morning tube ride with an alien James…" Alfred joked. He rounded a tight corner, the bike groaning under the exerted g-force. Alfred managed to spot a jagged shaped rock formation jutting out of the surrounding mountains, his keen mind automatically locking onto it as a suitable reference point.

"Do you see that mountain with the odd shaped edge? The one that looks like a snarling lion? I'm approaching it with gusto; meet me there and we can share a cup of tea?"

"Don't tell me you seriously brought _tea _behind the Iron Curtain?"

Alfred scoffed as he rounded another bend. "I refuse to live like an uncivilized oaf no matter where I am James, you should know that about me by now…"

"Understood Alfred." The agent chuckled. A static filled roar echoed in Alfred's ears. "I've got transport myself; no more the looker than yours I would say. I'll be at the rendezvous shortly."

"Affirmative Double-O…bollocks!"

"I beg your pardon?"

Alfred gripped the handles with whitening knuckles as he wretched the bike to the right, just barely avoiding a deluge of bullets aimed at his head. He collided hard with the ground as the bike shot out from under him, the searing pain of an icy road shooting up his back. He could barely hear the worried shouts of James through the grating sound of metal rubbing against asphalt.

He skidded to a stop just in front of a group of armed guards, their fierce faces and battle dress betraying their origins clearly to the experienced agent.

"Spetsnaz…GRU by the looks of it…_of course _they would be here…" he mumbled despondently. The clicking of readied guns echoed through the mountain range as Alfred found himself face to face with five heavily armed, and none too pleased, Soviet Commandoes. Despite himself, a smirk grew under his bristling mustache.

"{Thank god I found you!}" he spoke in perfect Russian. "{I was being chased by an American Agent! He's right behind me, we can…}"

"You do not fool us, _Brit_." Spat the fire team leader in equally perfect English. Alfred's smirk failed to disappear.

"I see. I must not have smelled like Vodka enough…"

His jeer was met with a deep scowl and an assault rifle inching closer to his bruised face. "You think it is wise to mock the men who will gut you?"

"Well, I might as well go out with two fingers gauging out your eyes…" Alfred chuckled, his hands rising towards his head. "Metaphorically, of course…"

"Actually, why don't we do it literally, eh old chap?"

The voice emanated from behind the fire team leader, who attempted to turn in surprise. He instead found himself with two gloved fingers jabbing into his eyes, a blood-curdling scream ripping out from his throat. Alfred quickly reached for his pistol, firing off four quick rounds. Each bullet found the hardened skull of the remaining four, and for a brief second completely befuddled, Spetsnaz soldiers in front of him. The leader dropped to the ground with an unceremonious thud, revealing the smiling visage of James, impeccably clad in his usual attire of a dark suit and red tie. He wiped off a stray strand of blood from the heavy white jacket he wore over said suit before tossing his dirtied gloves into the ditch beside him. Never diverting his gaze from the agent in front of him, Alfred rose to his feet and dusted the grim off his combat suit, his warm smile equally that of his friend.

"Exemplary timing as always James. I appreciate the assistance."

"I'm sure you could have taken them," the agent joked. "They only had you at gunpoint."

Alfred walked next to the man and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Well, as you said, my age is creeping up on me."

"Not thinking of becoming unemployed are we?" James asked incredulously. His question was met with a warm chuckle.

"Of course not, I have an…interesting job opportunity that just recently came to my attention. This was my last mission with the Agency." Slight regret tinged the last portion of his words as he looked into the billowing snow around them. James, his curiosity peaked, pressed on.

"It can't be desk work, can it? Even you wouldn't be caught dead behind a stack of papers."

"Actually I'm returning to my family's profession…" Alfred corrected, his gaze turning back towards his fellow agent. "I'm to be in the employ of an American family. The husband's a rather nice fellow from what I've heard, the wife too. I believe they have a young son on the way."

James tapped his chin curiously as he stared at Alfred. "Interesting…what's the family's name?"

Alfred pondered for a brief moment, his eyes directed upwards into the clouds. As his memory kicked back in, his attention returned to James in front of him, a smile again forming on his face.

"I believe they're the _Waynes_, James…"


End file.
